The New Secular Fundamentalist Conspiracy!, p. 3

TheA PUBLICATION OF POLITICAL RESEARCH PublicEye ASSOCIATES SPRING 2008 • Volume XXIII, No.1 $5.25 The North American Union Right-wing Populist Conspiracism Rebounds

By Chip Berlet he same right-wing populist fears of Ta collectivist one-world government and new world order that fueled Cold War anticommunism, mobilized opposition to the Civil Rights Movement, and spawned the armed citizens militia movement in the 1990s, have resurfaced as an elaborate conspiracy theory about the alleged impending creation of a North American Union that would merge the United States, Canada, and Mexico.1 No such merger is seriously being con- templated by any of the three govern- ments. Yet a conspiracy theory about the North American Union (NAU) simmered in right-wing “Patriot Movement” alter- native media for several years before bub- bling up to reach larger audiences in the Ron Wurzer/Getty Images Wurzer/Getty Ron Dr. James Dobson, founder of the Christian Right group Focus on the Family, with the slogan of the moment. North American Union continues on page 11 IN THIS ISSUE Pushed to the Altar Commentary ...... 2 The Right-Wing Roots of Marriage Promotion The New Secular Fundamentalist Conspiracy! . . . . . 3 By Jean V. Hardisty especially welfare recipients, to marry. The fter the 2000 presidential campaign, I rationale was that marriage would cure their Reports in Review ...... 28 Afelt a shock of recognition when I read poverty. Wade Horn, appointed by Bush to that the George W. Bush Administration be in charge of welfare programs at the Now online planned to use its “faith-based” funding to Department of Health and Human Services www.publiceye.org ...... 31 support organizations to encourage women, (HHS), had been the titular head of the Eyes Right ...... 31 Pushed to the Altar continues on page 21

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COMMENTARY ThePublicEye Judicial Watch Glories in Victories over Undocumented Workers Publisher The Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, By Eleanor J. Bader M. Div., D. Min. Editor o enter the world of Tom Fitton, President of the conservative, D.C.-based group, Abby Scher, Ph.D TJudicial Watch, you’re going to need to forget the stories you’ve heard about hard- Design/layout working immigrants being torn from their U.S.-born children and deported to their coun- Hird Graphic Design Printing tries of origin. You’ll need to forget tales of workplace raids and anecdotes about people Red Sun Press deported for driving five miles above the speed limit. You’ll also need to forget about the Editorial Board 185,431 people who were deported in 2006. Chip Berlet • Pam Chamberlain Frederick Clarkson • David Cunningham That’s because, in Fitton’s worldview, a vast network of “sanctuary cities” is coddling Surina Khan • Jean Hardisty • Roberto Lovato illegals and refusing to allow local law enforcers to work with Immigration and Customs The Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale Enforcement (ICE). As Fitton sees it, the roster of recalcitrants includes Anchorage, Tarso Luís Ramos • Abby Scher Holly Sklar Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. PRAPRA Political Research Associates POLITICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES Speaking at the National Press Club three weeks before the Iowa Presidential Cau- Founder and President Emerita cus, Fitton—along with allies Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immi- Jean V. Hardisty, Ph.D grant Studies and a contributor to National Review online, and John Fonte, director of Staff the ominously named Center for American Common Culture and a visiting scholar at The Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, the American Enterprise Institute—recounted a host of heinous crimes to buttress their Executive Director Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst assertion that if we want a safer United States, the undocumented must be removed. Their Pam Chamberlain, Senior Researcher flawed rationale is meant to incite distrust and resentment among the native born Helen Crowley, Development Director Amy Lessler, Business Manager Like a wily adolescent, 14-year-old Judicial Watch is trying on identities. Its website Tarso Luís Ramos, Research Director describes it as a “nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes transparency, Abby Scher, Editorial Director accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.” At the same time, the Alen Abdula, Data/Web Master group’s tentacles extend into traditional right-wing territory—opposition to abortion Interns Commentary continues on page 20 Becky Brand Miguel Castillo Aaron Rothbaum

Board of Directors Richard Gross Vivien Labaton June Lorenzo Supriya Pillai Emelia Rallapalli Wendy Volkmann Alea Woodlee

The Public Eye is published by Political Research Associates. Annual subscriptions are $21.00 for individuals and non-profit organizations, $10.00 for students and low-income individuals, and $36.00 for libraries and institutions. Single issues, $5.25. Outside U.S., Canada, and Mexico, add $9.00 for surface delivery or $14.00 for air mail. Please make checks payable to Political Research Associates, 1310 Broadway, Suite 201, Somerville, Massachusetts 02144-1837. 617.666.5300 fax: 617.666.6622 PRA is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. © Political Research Associates, 2008. Website: www.publiceye.org Matson/politicalcartoons.com All rights reserved. ISSN 0275-9322 ISSUE 59

THE PUBLIC EYE 2 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye The New Secular Fundamentalist Conspiracy! By Frederick Clarkson ne of the most remarkable, and least Oremarked upon, features of the con- temporary discussion of faith in public life is that a defining feature of the religious right worldview has filtered deeply into mainstream and even progressive thought. This defining feature is the idea that some- how God, and/or Christianity, and/or “people of faith” are being driven from “the public square.” It is a powerfully animat- ing idea for many Americans; yet it is rarely factually supported and even more rarely challenged. Interestingly, much of this distortion hinges on a single word. The word is “sec- ular” and such variants as “secular human- PaulJ. Richards/AFP/Getty Images Richards/AFP/Getty PaulJ. ists,” “secular fundamentalists,” and just Reverend Jim Wallis with the three major Democratic Party contenders at a Sojourners magazine forum plain “secularists.” While the word has on faith, values, and poverty at George Washington University in June 2007. simple and benign definitions, the word is also the touchstone of a powerful and usu- Communist”1 smear leveled at generations the Constitution of the United States. In so ally subterranean set of meanings that of American progressives. doing, Kennedy at once dissolved some peo- often makes it a term of derision and ple's concerns about whether he harbored demonization. Secular Baiting Goes any divided loyalties to the Vatican — and Tracing the word “secular” exposes how Mainstream set a standard for the relationship between an important and dynamic dimension of ormer Massachusetts governor Mitt organized religion and candidates for office religious right ideology has drifted to the FRomney staged a speech at the George for a generation. top of American political discourse as well H. W. Bush Presidential Library, in Mid- Romney’s task was a little different. He as elements of the liberal/left. This has, as land, Texas early in the GOP presidential wanted to dissolve concerns about his we shall see, consequences for the main- primary season in 2007. It was considered Mormon faith and simultaneously appeal stream discussion of separation of church a speech of great moment for Romney, to conservative Christian evangelicals, and state, while also fomenting unneces- particularly given the personal introduction many of whom were explicitly anti-Mor- sary divisions among progressives, and by former president Bush. It was at least a mon. He cast himself within the broad even raising the specter of old fashioned red trial balloon on the party’s approach to American tradition of religious liberty and baiting with is echoes of the “Godless religious freedom and separation of church separation of church and state — and then and state. Indeed, Romney sought at once the other shoe dropped. “In recent years,” to echo John F. Kennedy's famous 1960 he declared, Frederick Clarkson is a member of the campaign speech in which the Democrat editorial board of The Public Eye and the notion of the separation of church declared that the Catholic Church did not cofounder of the group blog site and state has been taken by some well speak for him and he would not speak for Talk2Action.org – from which parts of beyond its original meaning. They Rome; that his religious views were private; this essay are adapted. He is the editor of seek to remove from the public he believed in the absolute separation of Dispatches from the Religious Left: The domain any acknowledgment of church and state; he would be president of Future of Faith and Politics in America – God. Religion is seen as merely a pri- all of the people; and would swear to uphold forthcoming from IG Publishing in 2008. vate affair with no place in public life.

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It is as if they are intent on estab- For example, longtime televangelist and that is so, we see the frame employed by lishing a new religion in America religious right leader, the late D. James rightwing propagandists on specific issues — the religion of secularism. They Kennedy, offers a typical religious right use and against groups or individuals all the are wrong. The founders proscribed of the term: “God forbid that we who were time. For example, nationally syndicated the establishment of a state religion, born into the blessings of a Christian columnist Cal Thomas, a former but they did not countenance the America should let our patrimony slip like spokesperson for Jerry Falwell’s Moral elimination of religion from the pub- sand through our fingers and leave to our Majority, drew on the power of the frame lic square.2 children the bleached bones of a godless sec- in a recent effort to discredit concern about In making this charge, Romney tapped ular society. But whatever the outcome, one global warming, snidely referring to “the a deep vein of religious right ideology; thing is certain: God has called us to engage secular fundamentalists who believe in Al 4 attributing malevolent intentions and con- the enemy in this culture war.” Gore as a prophet and global warming as 6 siderable power to “some” people; an a religious doctrine …” On Fox News, Bill unnamed “they”—who are somehow seek- O’Reilly routinely uses the term “secular ing to foist a new religion of secularity on progressive” in a way that slyly implies that unsuspecting Americans — and subvert progressives are inherently non- or even the will of the founding fathers to boot. On Fox News, Bill O’Reilly anti-religious. But sometimes, the full- He didn't say who, and he didn’t say how, ness of his meaning surfaces. During a or offer even a hint of a fact in support of routinely uses the term tirade about the alleged “war on Christ- his argument. He didn’t have to. He was mas,” he declared: “See, I think it’s all offering the first few notes of a tune so well “secular progressive” in a way part of the secular progressive agenda—to known to his intended audience that they get Christianity and spirituality and could complete it themselves. The tune that slyly implies that Judaism out of the public square. Because carries the story of Christian nationalism if you look at what happened in Western that has served as an animating vision of progressives are inherently Europe and Canada, if you can get religion the Christian Right for decades. It was out, then you can pass secular progressive heard by those with ears to hear it. And the non- or even anti-religious. programs like legalization of narcotics, key word to unlocking the inner tune euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage, was the word “secular.” because the objection to those things is 7 Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst at Political religious-based, usually.” Research Associates, writes that for decades, Perhaps the most infamous example is the religious right has promoted a con- Reverend Jerry Falwell’s explanation to A New Rosetta Stone spiracy theory that Christianity is under Pat Robertson of the 9/11 attacks on ne of the political and intellectual attack by “secular humanists.” Robertson’s 700 Club cable TV show: “I Otasks of our time is learning to have really believe that the pagans, and the an open ear to the way the meanings of sec- The idea that a coordinated cam- abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays ular and its variants shift to accomplish ide- paign by “secular humanists” was and the lesbians who are actively trying to ological ends. The word offers a Rosetta aimed at displacing Christianity as make that an alternative lifestyle, the Stone for interpreting the worldviews of sev- the moral bedrock of America actu- ACLU, People for the American Way — eral overlapping factions in contemporary ally traces back to a group of Catholic all of them who have tried to secularize political and religious debate. It is also the ideologues in the 1960s. It was America — I point the finger in their face key to effectively challenging this central Protestant evangelicals, especially 5 and say ‘you helped this happen.’” framing of the religious Right’s worldview fundamentalists, who brought this By framing these claims as a conspiracy in public life—and particularly for concept into the public political to provoke a "Culture War," Berlet con- deprogramming progressives who have arena and developed a plan to mobi- cluded, “conservative Christians trans- unwittingly internalized the frame. lize grassroots activists as foot soldiers form political disagreements into a battle The code phrases are all familiar. In in what became known as the Cul- between the Godly and the Godless, addition to “secular humanist,” the main ture Wars of the 1980s…. between good and evil, and ultimately terms, often interchangeably, are secular- The idea of a conscious and coordi- between those that side with God and ist, secular fundamentalist, secular pro- nated conspiracy of secular humanists those that wittingly or unwittingly side with gressive, secular militant, and secular left. has been propounded in various ways Satan.” But let’s begin with some basic defini- by a variety of national conservative This framing is powerful, highly adapt- tions first. There are two main usages of the organizations and individuals.3 able, and profoundly resonant. And because word “secular.” One has to do with the rela-

THE PUBLIC EYE 4 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye tionship between government and public Every analysis in this area must begin those rights; and recognizes that within any life. A secular government or a secular pol- with consideration of the cumulative government agency or program, there will icy of government is neutral in relationship criteria developed by the Court over be people who hold a range of religious and to religion; not just in the sense of not pre- many years. Three such tests may be non-religious beliefs and that these are to ferring one religion over another, but also gleaned from our cases. First, the be respected. in relation to non-religious persons and statute must have a secular legislative The second definition makes “secular” groups. This use of the term is epitomized purpose; second, its principal or pri- synonymous with non-belief, or more par- in a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case, Lemon mary effect must be one that neither ticularly, non-theism. A good example of vs. Kurtzman—a landmark decision in advances nor inhibits religion, finally, this contemporary usage comes from the the history of church-state law. At issue was the statute must not foster an exces- Secular Coalition for America, a Wash- state funding of parochial schools. The sive government entanglement with ington D.C.-based "national lobby for court recognized that there is a perennial religion.8 atheists, humanists, freethinkers and other gray area in these matters, and that the gray Neutrality does not mean that govern- nontheistic Americans." area necessarily changes as society itself ment or its officials must become non-reli- The Secular Coalition’s mission state- evolves. So the court identified three guid- gious or anti-religious. Rather, neutrality ment further explains: “While the coalition ing principles—called “The Lemon affirms the rights of individuals to believe was created expressly by and for nonthe- Test”—for sorting out these matters from as they will and that government shall istic Americans, we also enthusiastically a constitutional perspective. serve as the uncompromised guarantor of welcome the participation of religious Daryl Cagle

THE PUBLIC EYE 5 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye individuals who share our view that free- has ever named anyone who has been to speak from their religious convictions. dom of conscience must extend to people driven from the public square, let alone From the Anti-Defamation League [ADL], of all faiths and of none.” any of the drivers. to Americans United for Separation of And then, the group employs the other “We contend today,” Wallis writes early Church and State, to the ACLU and some main usage of secular: “…our full-time lob- in God’s Politics, “with both religious and of the political Left’s most religion fearing byist and support staff engage public pol- secular fundamentalists, neither of whom publications, a cry of alarm has gone up in icy makers and the media to increase the must have their way. One group would response to anyone who has the audacity visibility and respectability of nontheistic impose the doctrines of a political theoc- to be religious in public. These secular viewpoints and to protect and strengthen racy on their fellow citizens, while the skeptics often display amazing lapse of the secular character of our government as other would deprive the public square of historical memory when they suggest that the best guarantee of freedom for all.” needed moral and spiritual values often religious language in politics is contrary to When the Religious Right uses the shaped by faith.” the ‘American Ideal.’”10 term, it means something else altogether. It is important to note the book opens Wallis does not offer a single example of The Religious Right does not buy the with this false equivalence between religious anything these civil liberties groups have notion that government can be neutral with fundamentalists and “secular fundamen- ever done to justify these charges. He implies regard to religion. Indeed, secularism is the that these groups are militant anti-reli- godless enemy, paving the way for Satan or gionists, when clearly they are not. Indeed, Satanic agents; thwarting the advance of the entirety of his argument is his use of the religion in general, or the kingdom of God The Religious Right term secular as a pejorative, adding “fun- in particular. damentalist” for some extra kick. That is why it is shocking when we does not buy the notion All of these organizations are at the hear the religious right-like usages forefront of efforts to protect religious employed by such noted, ostensibly pro- that government can freedom in America. Indeed, the ADL gressive authors as Reverend Jim Wallis, the represents the civil liberties interests of leader of Sojourners/Call to Renewal; and be neutral with regard Jews; and the leaders of Americans United Rabbi Michael Lerner, leader of the Net- for Separation of Church and State have work of Spiritual Progressives. Both of to religion. always been predominantly religious. The these men have published best selling and current executive director, Barry Lynn is an widely influential books that demonize ordained minister in the United Church of secularism and use the term and its varia- Christ and formerly headed the Washington tions to smear the Left. These are, respec- talists” as if they were problems of the office of the ACLU. In fact, all of the tively, God’s Politics: Why the Religious Right same kind. However, nowhere in the book named groups are secular in the Lemon vs. is Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It (2004); does Wallis tell us anything about these sec- Kurtzman sense of the term, in both the and The Left Hand of God: Taking Back ular fundamentalists whose "way" must be composition of their membership and in Our Country from the Religious Right thwarted or indeed, what that “way” even terms of the public policy agenda they (2006). The way they use the term “sec- is. This is not unusual in the world accord- pursue, as well as their general understand- ular” is indistinguishable from the way ing to Wallis: “In this election,” he wrote ing of the meaning of the Constitution. that religious right leaders use the term. in 2006, “both the Religious Right and the Wallis tried, unsuccessfully, to clear the secular Left were defeated, and the voice of air in 2007 in a blog post on Beliefnet. But Assailing The “Zombie” Left the moral center was heard.”9 Nowhere in he made the situation worse by simply o listen to or read Wallis and to a lesser this article did he explain who this secular repeating himself, passing off hearsay as Textent Lerner, one would think that Left might be, how it was defeated, or facts, and refusing to substantiate his legions of the secular Left are rampaging why anyone should care. claims. across the land; that the secularity police Sixty-nine secular-baiting pages into However, we... know that there are are billy-clubbing every expression of reli- God’s Politics, he finally gets around to powerful voices on the Left that have gious faith out of public life; ruthlessly naming a few names. It turns out that the no tolerance for faith. As I said, I blocking “people of faith” from participa- bad guys are all civil liberties organizations, won't name names, but here are just tion in constitutional democracy; and with Wallis using a tone that echoes lead- a very few specifics: I've been attacked requiring politicians and ordinary citizens ers of the Religious Right: “Today, there are publicly by leaders of major pro- to hide their religiosity. But in their respec- new fundamentalists in the land. These are gressive organizations who've said tive books (and as far as I can tell, their other the ‘secular fundamentalists,’ many of that the Left has no need for religion. published works and statements), neither whom attack all political figures who dare They’ve said that religion, “whether

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conservative or progressive” should with, what he calls the “Religion of Secu- cratic Parties—are, and have always been have no place in politics. "It’s still reli- larism.” populated with people who are religious as gion,” they say.11 Lerner goes out of his way to make well as people who are not. Lerner offers While there are certainly individuals clear that he supports the rights of nonbe- no evidence of people being pressured or who are hostile to religion, he offered no lievers. But he sends profoundly mixed silenced regarding their religious identity evidence that they are as big a problem as messages. For example, while he acknowl- or views, let alone shows any kind of pat- he infers. Nor does he in any way justify his edges and criticizes the Religious Right for tern or trend. implied conflation of such people with the secular baiting the Left—he also takes a Lerner then asserts that “what underlies civil liberties groups he names in his book. great deal of space to do it himself. the secular Left’s deep skepticism about reli- In the wake of the 2004 elections, the Lerner goes so far as to blame the Left gion is their strong faith in another kind Brookings Institution hosted a discussion (without explanation) for “bad theology” of belief system”—yet another religion of God’s Politics featuring Wallis and reli- on the religious Right! He claims that that unnamed secularists are said to ascribe gious right leader Richard Land of the “[t]his bad theology has been able to flour- to—claiming that it derives from “scien- Southern Baptist Convention. According ish in part because the political Left has tism," which he accurately describes as a to a report in the Baptist Press News,12 Land given little attention to its own religious “reliance on the value of empirical obser- was celebrating: Left, presenting itself instead primarily as vation to determine truth and guide obser- a secular force.”13 At the same time, Lerner vations.”14 Once again, he names not a After Wallis, who is identified with claims that (unnamed) secularists are some- single person or organization who sub- the evangelical Christian left, spoke how complicit in fostering a “spiritual cri- scribes to this idea, or a single relevant about the subject of his book to a sis” in the nation. action resulting from such beliefs. Never- standing-room-only crowd, Land He also implies that no one engaged in theless, he declares “It has become the reli- explained the significance of the the political Left happens to be religious – gion of the secular consciousness.”15 moment from his perspective. except for those hiding in the closet. “When However apocryphal Lerner’s claims “Jim’s book, this gathering, the I critique the Left in this book,” he writes, may be, they form the backdrop to one of discussion that it symbolizes across “I’m referring to the most militant secu- the four guiding principles of his national the country means that the so-called larists; I am well aware that these criticisms Network of Spiritual Progressives: religious right has won its fight with don’t apply to many spiritual people who “Challenge the misuse of God & religion secular fundamentalism,” Land are engaged in the Left but feel they need by the Religious Right and religio-phobia said…. to keep a low profile.” on the Left.” Suffice to say, the Network’s The many diverse organizations of the web site fails to offer a single example of Land said a “debate about which liberal/left—Democracy for America, the “religio-phobia on the Left;” explain its values and how those values are to be National Organization for Women, the significance; or provide any examples of applied between myself, and people AFL-CIO as well as the Green and Demo- how it has been “challenged.” like me, and Jim Wallis is going to be a much more productive debate for the country than a debate between Thomas Jefferson on Church and State myself, and people like myself, and those secularists of the ACLU stripe Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his and Americans United [for Separation God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legit- of Church and State] stripe and imate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate People for the American Way stripe who want to disqualify people of reli- with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared gious conviction from even suiting up that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, and coming out onto the field.” or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation Meanwhile, Michael Lerner also takes between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the a few pages from the religious right play- book and puts them in a chapter of his nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction book: “The Religion of Secularism and the the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, Fear of the Spirit.” He not only fails to define convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties. what he means by secular and its variants, he names not a single person, let alone any – excerpt from January 1802 letter to Danbury Baptist Association adherents of, or institutions associated

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Such claims populate the writings of Alabama school board. They claimed that Federal District Court Judge Brevard Wallis and Lerner like legions of the school text books were promoting the sup- Hand’s ruling that the Mobile school board undead. We can illustrate how their argu- posed religion of secular humanism. had unconstitutionally established secular ment relies almost entirely on the repeti- What happened is a classic example of humanism as a religion nevertheless relied tion of the word “secular” by replacing it how the allegation breaks down in the heavily on Hunter’s testimony. However, with the word “zombie:” light of factual challenges. Robertson's the appellate court promptly overturned Lerner: “What underlies the Zombie legal team hired University of Virginia Hand. “We do not believe,” the appellate Left's deep skepticism about religion is their sociologist James Davison Hunter to eval- court wrote in reversing the decision, “that strong faith in another kind of belief uate the disputed texts and to serve as an an objective observer could conclude from system”; “[Scientism] has become the reli- expert witness to testify that secular human- the mere omission of certain historical gion of the Zombie consciousness”; “The ism was not only a religion, but that it was facts regarding religion or the absence of a Religion of Zombieism: And the Fear of the somehow advanced by the school books. more thorough discussion of the role of its Spirit.” Hunter testified, “the material is presented place in modern American society that Wallis: “Zombie fundamentalists tell us in such a way that it is consistent with the the State of Alabama was conveying a mes- that religion should be restricted to one’s tenets of secular humanism.” He also said sage of approval of the religion of secular church or family”; “Religion is not inherently that his studies had “persuaded me that a humanism.”18 undemocratic, as the Zombie fundamen- talists want to make it out to be.”16 When Democrats Adopt the Frame The Religion of Secular Some Democratic hat is remarkable today is that the Humanism Wviews of Pat Robertson and an t is worth underscoring that Lerner consultants advise clients obscure judge in the 1980s are almost Iinvokes the same phrase “the religion of indistinguishable from some leading secularism” as Romney used in his speech not to talk about separation Democrats and Republicans who are not and offers no more evidence for it, despite affiliated with the Religious Right. Sena- the space afforded by an entire book. In the of church and state because tor Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat 1970s and 80s, the Religious Right was speaking at a forum organized by Jim Wal- quite exercised about what they called “the it raises “red flags with lis in 2006, declared that (unnamed) “sec- religion of secular humanism.” Chip Berlet ularists are wrong when they ask believers detailed in The Public Eye how “shift in people of faith.” to leave their religion at the door before focus from anti-communism to the claim entering the public square.”19 In the wake that secular humanism now plays the key of the ensuing outcry, Obama never again subversive role in undermining America” is secular humanism of a sort is a dominant resorted to secular baiting, and later came rooted in the works of leading religious right ideology of public school textbooks, at to adopt an unambiguous public position figures such as John Stormer and Francis least the ones reviewed.” Because some of on the importance of separation of church A. Schaeffer, and David A. Noebel of the texts omitted certain historical refer- and state. Nevertheless, some Democratic Summit Ministries, whose 1991 Under- ences to religion in American history, Party campaign consultants actually advise standing the Times was used in 850 Hunter argued that the “secularization of their clients not to talk about separation of Christian schools in the United States. The public life generally, and education church and state because it raises “red flags book, Berlet writes, “argues that secular specifically is epitomized by the omission with people of faith.”20 This according to humanism has replaced communism as of certain references to religion.” Mara Vanderslice of the Washington D.C,- the major anti-Christian philosophy.”17 “Is it a tenet of secular humanism,” based firm Common Good Strategies— Indeed. The argument that secular Hunter was asked on cross examination, whose clients have included candidates for humanism, the general idea that “that history be portrayed inaccurately?” U.S. Senator and governor as well as the humankind can self govern without a god, Hunter had to not only acknowledge that Democratic National Committee. Just was cast as the bogeyman. Today’s short- it was not but that he had in fact found before the November 2006 elections, her hand is secular or secularism, but the basic no passages in the elementary school partner Eric Sapp wrote: worldview remains the same. Litigation was social studies books he had reviewed that In case anyone doesn’t know, [the then, as it is now, commonplace. One were “consistent with secular human- phrase] “separation of church and such landmark case was the 1986 Alabama ism,” rather that the books “advance a sec- state” is not in the Constitution. It Textbook Case, in which a legal arm of the ularistic view of the world. Not a shouldn't be in our vocabulary as Pat Robertson empire sued the Mobile, humanistic, but a secularistic.” Democrats either. There are two

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main reasons for this. First, the polit- Danbury Baptists), as a way of explaining state in any way restricts anyone’s freedom ical answer: many moderate-to-con- the meaning of the establishment clause of of religion. servative Christians recoil at the the first amendment since the case of term because it is often misused by Reynolds vs. The United States in 1878 and Conclusion secularists to attack any use of it has been central to every major religious o much is revealed by how people use faith in the public sphere. Second, freedom case since. Justice Sandra Day Sthe term secular. Understanding how it the legal/policy answer: this phrase O'Connor wrote in a Ten Command- is used by the Right helps us to better con- is a very imprecise and misleading ments case in 2005: “Those who would tend with the way that it is used as a wedge shorthand for a beautifully crafted renegotiate the boundaries between church to divide the left against itself; especially section of the First Amendment. and state must therefore answer a difficult between religious and nonreligious pro- Rather than “separation of church question: why would we trade a system that gressives. Mindless anti-secular sloganeer- and state,” our Constitution has an has served us so well for one that has served ing makes nonreligious progressives roll “Establishment and Free Exercise others so poorly?” their eyes in astonishment at the vacuous- Clause,” and that’s the language Religious and nonreligious leaders long ness of the argument, the lack of intellec- Democrats should use to describe the before had used the phrase and its variants tual integrity, and the sheer political legal principles that define the inter- to describe this foundational concept23 but ham-handedness of those who write and action of church and state in this perhaps the most famous and influential use speak in such a fashion. country. since Jefferson was by Senator John F. But most importantly, when left of Kennedy in his landmark speech during his center religious and political leaders engage Our Constitution guarantees every- 1960 campaign for president. "I believe in in secular baiting, they are strengthening one a right to freely exercise their reli- an America where the separation of church the religious right-framed argument gion and forbids the state from and state is absolute – where no Catholic against the best American ethos and the establishing a single religion. On the prelate would tell the President (should he Constitutional doctrine of separation of other hand, the “separation” lan- be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant church and state. ■ guage used by many Democrats minister would tell his parishoners for implies the complete exclusion of whom to vote…”24 Those words would faith from the public square, End Notes not have passed Kennedy’s lips if he were 1 thereby creating restrictions on See Chip Berlet, “Dances with Devils: How Apocalyp- advised by Sapp’s firm. tic and Millennialist Themes Influence Right Wing 21 the free exercise of religion.” Sapp also, like the others, draws sweep- Scapegoating and Conspiracism,” The Public Eye, Fall 1998. [emphasis added] ing conclusions without offering any evi- 2 Mitt Romney, Transcript, National Public Radio, First, Sapp parrots a standard religious dence or any justification. Just because December 6, 2007. Romney repeated his main assertion right talking point—the phrase is not in some unnamed people—secularists of on Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes, December 13, 2007, 22 explaining that he wanted “... to make sure that we don’t the Constitution. True. However, it has course—allegedly misuse the phrase, no push God out of the public square, as some secularists been used by the Supreme Court (drawing one should use it. Nor does he explain how would do.” on Thomas Jefferson’s famous letter to the talking about separation of church and 3 Chip Berlet, “How Apocalyptic and Millennialist Themes Influence Right Wing Scapegoating and Conspiracism,” The Public Eye, Fall 1998. 4 Rob Boston, “D. James Kennedy: Who Is He And POLITICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES REPORTS What Does He Want?,” Church & State, April 1999. 5 Wikipedia profile of Jerry Falwell, http://en. Reports from the premier watchdog on the US Right wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell 6 Cal Thomas, “Secular fundamentalists,” Salt Lake Other Activist Resource Kits available Defending Public Education (1999): $5 Tribune, December, 24, 2007. Available at Defending Justice (2005): $10 Defending Reproductive Rights (2000): $3 http://www.calthomas.com/index.php?news=2135. Defending Immigrant Rights (2002): $5 Defending Democracy (2001): $3 7 “O’Reilly: ‘War’ on Christmas part of ‘secular progres- sive agenda’ that includes ‘legalization of narcotics, Special Reports: $3 euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage,’’ Media Matters for America, November 21, 2005. Deliberate Differences: Progressive and Conservative http://mediamatters.org/items/200511210003?f=s_search Campus Activism in the United States (2004) 8 Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971): [463 U.S. 783, Privatizing the Common Wealth: The Pioneer Institute (2002) 797]. 9 Calculated Compassion: How the Ex-Gay Movement Special rates for Jim Wallis: “A Defeat for the Religious Right and the Serves the Right’s Attack on Democracy (1998 ) Secular Left,” Beliefnet, November 9, 2006. Public Eye readers! http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogs/godspolitics/2006/11/jim- Challenging the Ex-Gay Movement: A resource packet (1998) wallis-defeat-for-religious-right.html

To order, visit www.publiceye.org Secular Fundamentalist continues on page 30

THE PUBLIC EYE 9 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

THE CONSPIRACY’S KERNEL OF TRUTH

By Laura Carlsen The North American Union conspiracy theory grew out of a the three countries through greater cooperation,” the SPP does kernel of truth, called the “Security and Prosperity Partnership” pose a threat to national sovereignty, but to the sovereignty of (SPP). But cultivated by xenophobic fears and political oppor- NAFTA’s junior partners. Canadians have been the most active in tunism, the NAU outstripped its reality-based progenitor so fast opposing the SPP, not out of fear of a mythical NAU but because that it has become hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. of real threats to their ability to protect consumers’ health, natural A little history helps. resources, and the environment. SPP rules would force open oil production in environmentally sensitive areas and channel water After the North American Free Trade Agreement went into force supplies to U.S. needs. Likewise, Mexican civic organizations have in 1994, the three governments began to talk about expanding the protested SPP pressures to privatize Mexican oil and impose U.S. scope of the agreement. Mexico, in particular, hoped to negotiate security priorities on Mexican foreign policy. a solution to the border/immigration problem. However, the process was brought to a grinding halt by the attacks of Sept. 11th. As for moving toward a borderless North America, the years since the SPP began have witnessed a hardening of the U.S.-Mexico In a 2005 summit of then-Presidents George W. Bush, Vicente border never seen before in modern history. Fifteen thousand Fox, and Prime Minister Paul Martin in Waco, Texas plans for Border Patrol agents, 6,000 members of the National Guard and “deep integration” between the three countries finally progressed a border fence powerfully belie any suggestion that the U.S. with the official launch of the SPP. In the post-September 11th government aims to eliminate borders. political context, immigration was definitively off the table and U.S. security interests, along with corporate interests in obtaining The NAU myth obscures the very real globalization issues raised even more favorable terms for regional trade and investment, by NAFTA—job loss, labor insecurity, the surge in illegal immi- dominated the agenda. gration, and racial tensions caused by the portrayal of immigrants as invaders. This is convenient for both right-wing politicians and The SPP established working groups, rules, recommendations, the government and business elites they attack because real solu- and agreements without Congressional oversight or public partic- tions to these problems would include actions anathema to them ipation in—or even knowledge of—its proceedings. It created all, including unionization, enforcement of labor rights, compre- a “North American Competitiveness Council” that reads like a hensive immigration reform, and regulation of the international “Who’s Who” of the largest transnationals based on the continent. market. Instead, these options are shunted aside with the redefinition While the lack of transparency and the U.S. corporate and secu- of the problem as a conspiracy of anti-American elites. rity-dominated agenda are cause for great concern, they are not In this context, outrage over a nonexistent NAU should not be evidence of a plot to move toward a North American Union. Even confused with growing criticism of the Security and Prosperity a perfunctory analysis of politics in the three NAFTA countries Partnership. The SPP has proceeded to change national regula- shows that a North American Union was, is, and always will be a tions, and create closed business committees without the non-starter. It began as an academic proposal and never got off participation of labor, environmental, or citizen voices. SPP nego- the ground politically. tiations provide a vehicle for more of the corporate integration Among the most bizarre assumptions of NAU scare-mongers is that has eliminated jobs, impoverished workers, and threatened the contention that the SPP will threaten U.S. sovereignty and the environment across borders. erase borders. The idea of a regional union that effaces U.S. sover- It has also served to extend the dangerous Bush security doctrine eignty is light-years away from George W. Bush’s foreign policy of to Canada and Mexico, despite its lack of popularity in those unilateral action and disdain for international law and institu- countries and among the US public. It’s latest outgrowth, the tions. On the contrary, the precepts of the Bush administration’s $1.4 billion-dollar Merida Initiative or Plan Mexico, would pro- foreign policy point to a return to the neoconservative belief that vide money, U.S. training, and equipment to the Mexican mili- the world would be a better place if the U.S. government just ran tary, police, and intelligence services. This militarized model of everything. fighting real problems of drug-trafficking and human smuggling Officially described as “... a White House-led initiative among would lead to greater violence and heightened binational tensions. the United States and the two nations it borders—Canada and It’s time to separate out false threats from real threats. A good Mexico—to increase security and to enhance prosperity among place to start is to demand transparency in trinational talks and informed public debate on regional integration. Laura Carlsen is Director of Americas Policy Program in Mexico City.

THE PUBLIC EYE 10 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye NORTH AMERICAN UNION continued from page 1 mass media when callers to talk radio and ident Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and the picion that national sovereignty is erod- cable television news programs began ask- 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth cam- ing—all of these are popular themes ing about the alleged plans for the North paign that helped sink the Presidential throughout the United States.7 This is, American Union, and what was dubbed the aspirations of Senator John Kerry. Veter- after all, a country where the bootlegger “NAFTA Superhighway” linking Mexico ans of both smear campaigns are actively who makes homemade “moonshine” liquor to Canada through the American heart- promoting the North American Union to avoid paying federal taxes is a folk hero. land.2 conspiracy theory. In addition, anti-immi- While the suspicious conspiracist con- Now millions of Americans have been grant xenophobes and antisemitic con- cerns of the Patriot and armed Militia exposed to the conspiracy theories on spiracists are using the issue to recruit new movements reflect hyperbolized versions national television and tens of thousands adherents. There is a split, however, of these core themes, it is useful to see them of websites sport claims such as “Treason between right-wing anti-globalist activists as deeply rooted in nightmares that peri- Exposed,” and “Who Really Controls the supporting the main Republican Party odically disturb the American Dream. United States?”3 One online video posted on YouTube in July 2007 titled “North The Alleged Plot American Union & VCHIP Truth” has he basic allegation of the North Amer- been viewed more than 1.7 million times Tican Union (NAU) conspiracy theory (see sidebar).4 Opponents of the nonex- The conspiracist concerns is that “behind closed doors, the Bush istent plans have produced maps, a flag, and administration has collaborated with the even a faux currency—the “Amero,” (sim- of the Patriot movements governments of Mexico and Canada to ilar to the Euro) which one entrepreneur merge the three nations into one Socialist has actually minted as coins available for are deeply rooted in mega-state.”8 The quote is from an online sale.5 The issue is starting to be discussed video featuring long-time ultra-conserva- seriously in progressive circles as well, even nightmares that tive leader Howard Phillips interviewing though it is a repackaged defective prod- author Jerome R. Corsi on Phillips’ “Con- uct of the political Right. periodically disturb the servative Roundtable” program. The NAU conspiracy theory has legs; it Phillips, Corsi, and Phyllis Schlafly are has already played a role in state, federal, American Dream. among the major right-wing figures pro- and Presidential campaign politics and moting the conspiracy theories about the generated legislative proposals. Thirteen NAU.9 Others include former Presidential states have passed anti-NAU and related candidate Patrick Buchanan; right-wing resolutions, and seven are considering candidates, and those supporting mar- organizations such as the John Birch Soci- them. In January 2008, Utah state Repre- ginal candidates such as Ron Paul or third ety and Accuracy in Media; right-wing sentative Stephen Sandstrom introduced parties such as the U.S. Constitution Party; media including World Net Daily, Human a resolution calling for the withdrawal the mainstream denounce the margins as Events; and supporters of libertarian Repub- from the union (H. R. 1), and then pro- conspiracy theorists, and the margins lican Presidential aspirant Ron Paul.10 Anti- moted it in a speech at the annual con- denounce the mainstream as clueless—or semitic publications such as The American vention of the Utah affiliate of Phyllis part of the conspiracy. Free Press have also jumped on the North Schlafly’s Eagle Forum.6 The claims about the North American American Union conspiracy juggernaut.11 Right-wing conspiracy theories have Union, like all conspiracy theories, start Even a few self-described leftists peddle the been used effectively by political organiz- with a grain of truth. There is a “Security theory. ers and electoral campaign operatives for and Prosperity Partnership” project involv- Corsi featured the NAU in his book, decades. Recent examples that reached the ing common interest planning and stream- The Late Great U.S.A.: The Coming Merger level of Presidential politics include the bar- lining of regulations among the three with Mexico and Canada, published on the rage of conspiracy theories leveled at Pres- countries. (see sidebar by Laura Carlsen). fourth of July, 2007. Corsi’s book was in There also are private groups seeking to its third printing within a few weeks, and upgrade existing highways linking Mexico hit 28 on the New York Times bestseller list Chip Berlet is Senior Analyst at Political with the United States and Canada. But the and the “No. 1 spot on Amazon’s ‘Non- Research Associates and a member of The idea that these are secret preliminary steps fiction’ list.”12 The publisher was WND Public Eye editorial board. He is author with to a planned North American Union is a Books, an imprint of WorldNetDaily.com, Matthew N. Lyons of Right-Wing Pop- concoction of right-wing conspiracy. a nasty right-wing website featuring xeno- ulism in America: Too Close for Comfort Distrust of the federal government, dis- phobia larded with conspiracy theories. and a frequent contributor to Talk2Action taste for bureaucratic regulation, and sus- Corsi was a staff reporter and columnist for and Huffington Post.

THE PUBLIC EYE 11 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

WND, and a contributor to Human Events, Patrick Buchanan picked up the story resolution as another news peg for an arti- an ultra-conservative newspaper with a for his syndicated newspaper column. cle on WorldNet Daily where he crowed history of involvement in right-wing, anti- Buchanan quoted television newscaster “Congress debate begins on North Amer- liberal, and anti-immigrant causes.13 He was Lou Dobbs, who, like Buchanan, is anti- ica Union: Resolution calls for end of exposed as a blogger on the right-wing site immigrant. According to Buchanan: NAFTA superhighway, abandonment of FreeRepublic.com with a history of racist “This is a “mind-boggling concept,” integration with Canada, Mexico.” The and anti-Catholic posts, including “Who exploded Lou Dobbs. It must cause kicker headline was: “Premeditated 20 are the Frogs going to cry to when the rag- Americans to think our political and Merger.” This became a slogan picked up 14 heads destroy the Eiffel Tower?” Corsi pre- academic elites have “gone utterly by conspiracist groups including the John viously was best known as the author of mad.” Birch Society. Unfit for Command, part of the dubious By the fall of 2006, even a number of attack on John Kerry coordinated as a Dr. Robert Pastor, vice chair of the conservative commentators were growing political dirty tricks campaign by Swift Boat Council on Foreign Relations Task tired of the hysteria, and began to attack Veterans for Truth during the 2004 Presi- Force on North America, had just the right-wing conspiracy theorists. Corsi dential race. Human Events promoted the appeared before a panel of the Sen- then wrote columns in Human Events Corsi book. ate Committee on Foreign Rela- denouncing the denouncers.21 In Septem- In June 2006, Corsi explored a new front tions—to call for erasing all U.S. ber of 2007, however, even the new editor on the NAU conspiracy theory with his borders and a merger of the United of Human Events, Jed Babbin, was himself claims that the nefarious secretive global- States, Mexico and Canada in a denouncing Corsi as a “black helicopter ists were: North American union stretching Internet conspiracy theorist” at a meeting …working behind the scenes to cre- from Prudhoe Bay to Guatemala. of Schlafly’s Eagle Council in St. Louis. ate the NAFTA Super Highway, Under the Pastor-CFR plan, the ille- despite the lack of comment on the Scraps of Facts, Truckloads gal alien invasion would be solved by of Rumors plan by President Bush. The Amer- eliminating America’s borders and here is an actual “North America’s ican public is largely asleep to this key legalizing the invasion. We would no Supercorridor Coalition,” and it piece of the coming ‘North Ameri- longer defend the Rio Grande.16 T can Union’ that government planners received so many complaints about its sus- Discussion of and opposition to the in the new trilateral region of United pected role in the NAU and the alleged NAU became so widespread that in Jan- States, Canada and Mexico are about “NAFTA Superhighway” that at one point uary 2007, a Republican Congressman to drive into reality.15 it junked its website’s home page and from Virginia named Virgil Goode drafted pointed browsers to a statement that read a resolution (H.R. 40) that urged President in part: Bush “not to go forward with the North As of late, there have been many American Union or the NAFTA Super- media references to a “new, proposed INTERNS WANTED! highway system.”17 The resolution gained NAFTA Superhighway.” While over forty bipartisan cosponsors by Feb- NASCO and the cities, counties, The Public Eye ruary 2008.18 In the Boston Globe, Drake states and provinces along our exist- The Public Eye welcomes interns Bennett reported that: to join us in producing the only ing Interstate Highways 35/29/94 As fears of the mythical NAU grow, magazine dedicated to exposing (the NASCO Corridor) have referred they appear to be subtly shaping the U.S. Right. for years to I-35 and key branches as more mainstream debates about “the NAFTA Superhighway,” the Political Research Associates immigration and trade…. Similar reference solely acknowledged and Political Research Associates, resolutions have been introduced in recognized I-35’s major role in car- the parent think tank of The several state legislatures — in Mon- rying a remarkable portion of inter- Public Eye, offers a research tana’s case, the resolution passed national trade with Mexico, the internship, and a communica- nearly unanimously. And back in United States and Canada. In actual tion and development internship. July, the U.S. House of Representa- fact, there are no plans to build “a new tives easily approved a measure that NAFTA Superhighway.” It already To apply, just email a letter and would cut off federal funds for an exists today as I-35 and branches.22 resume identifying the internship existing trade group set up by the In a story debunking the rumors, the that interests you to three countries.19 [email protected]. Nation magazine noted that though “oppo- Corsi used the Congressional anti-NAU

THE PUBLIC EYE 12 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye sition to the nonexistent highway is the cause célèbre of many a paranoiac, the myth upon which it rests was not fabricated out of whole cloth. Rather, it has been sewn together from scraps of fact.”23 Dr. Robert A. Pastor, for example, is a real analyst. “Nobody is proposing a North American Union,” Pastor patiently told a reporter. 24 Pastor, a professor at American University, wrote “Towards a North Amer- ican Community: Lessons from the Old World for the New,” a 2001 study that earned Pastor the reputation among Patriot conspiracy mongers as the “father” of the North American Union. “They also point to his cochairmanship of a Council on For- eign Relations task force that produced a report in 2005 on cooperation among the three countries.” Pastor blamed the hyste- Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia greets some of the 30 people who attended a June 2007 rally ria over the NAU and “NAFTA Super- sponsored by the Minuteman Project and received cheers when he encouraged the small crowd to “fight highway” on “the xenophobic or frightened the North American Union.” right wing of America that is afraid of immigration and globalization.”25 When the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a the plotters are asked to disprove a nega- same across the Patriot movement—the debunking article titled “North American tive premise—which is impossible. more that mainstream publications, politi- Union? Rumor sweeps the right” in May In mid October 2007 the John Birch cians, and pundits dismiss or ridicule the 2007, it resulted in more clamor for the Society magazine New American published North American Union conspiracy theory, “truth” from right-wing activists using an entire special issue devoted to alerting the more Patriot proponents see this as evi- their alternative media. The summer 2007 the nation: “Merger in the Making: North dence that the plan is underway, and how issue of the magazine Intelligence Report American Union Edition.” Since then the sneaky the conspirators really are. Michael tracked the use of the conspiracy theory by Birchers have distributed close to 500,000 Barkun has called this dynamic “stigma- anti-immigrant forces and several online copies.29 tized knowledge.”32 news sources and blogs began following the Not all the conspiracy theorists peddling story in detail, linking it to both anti- the NAU and “NAFTA Superhighway” Roots of Suspicion immigrant organizing and supporters of myths are on the political right. In mid- hy did these rumors about the NUA Presidential candidate Ron Paul.26 2007 the ostensibly left-wing Centre for spread so quickly through the U.S. The story went international when a W Research on Globalization published an Patriot movement and burst into main- question about the NAU was posed to article, “Canadians Completely Unaware stream public policy discussions? Partly President Bush of the United States, Pres- of Looming North American Union.” The because such rumors are rooted in the ident Calderón of Mexico, and Prime Centre has a history of transposing right- American tradition; implausible conspira- Minister Harper of Canada, at an inter- wing conspiracy theories into articles for cies have captivated large numbers of national press conference during their 30 a leftist audience. A June 2006 article by people before—repeatedly. 33 meeting on August 21, 2007.27 All three Corsi on the “NAFTA Super Highway” While fear of evil conspiracies can be leaders dismissed the conspiracy claims even won an award from the left-leaning found as far back as the Salem witch hunts and joked about it. watchdog group, Project Censored, which in in the 1600s, in the late 1700s, con- The conspiracists were not amused. further eroded Project Censored’s reputa- spiracies tied to anti-immigrant fears of Phyllis Schlafly responded with a column tion on the left, already tarnished by its “alien” sedition swept the nation. The titled “Bush Refuses to Deny the North repeated promotion of dubious right-wing 28 1800s saw hysterias about the Illuminati, American Agenda.” This follows the typ- 31 conspiracy theories. Still, most critics the Freemasons, and immigrant Catholics ical conspiracist format in which no com- appear to be on the political right and that historian Richard Hofstadter identi- ment is further proof to the conspiracists have ties to the Patriot movement. fied as apocalyptic. The scholar Justin of the truth of the allegation; and in which The dynamic of conspiracism is the Nordstrom argues that during this period:

THE PUBLIC EYE 13 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

…claims of Catholic subversion, Three Conspiracy Narratives period the three main tendencies consol- immorality, and danger to the nation arcela Sanchez wrote an online col- idated their theories: can thus be understood as illustrat- Mumn in July 2007 for the Washing- Secret Elites:The Birch Society version ing an “imagined” community of ton Post titled: “Stop, Stop! A North of the conspiracy traces back to the Illu- rural Anglo-Saxon Protestants American Union! As Some Stoke Fears of minati scare alleging secret elites infiltrat- valiantly defending the nation from ‘Dangerous’ Partnership, Reality Takes a ing the United States through Masonic threats by an internal, foreign, and Detour.”41 The column ridiculed the con- lodges of Freemasons, a fraternal organi- sinister force invading American spiracy theories. Larry Greenley of the John zation for men. Over time, the Birch Soci- cities. 34 Birch Society denounced the Sanchez arti- ety and similar groups updated this to These early periods established a cle in a response claiming that “Even Pres- include the Council on Foreign Relations, dynamic of right-wing populism in the ident Bush Called the Security and the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg United States, whereby economic anxiety Prosperity Partnership a ‘Union’ Back in Group (a banking network), the United and a distrust of elites could be focused on 2005.”42 For the Birchers, the editors at the Nations, NAFTA, and the Rockefeller “aliens,” “outsiders,” and “others” through Washington Post are among the secret elites family, among others. This is the generic pre-existing prejudices. The result has been behind the sinister plot in the first place. version of the conspiracy narrative. While a series of largely middle-class movements on the surface it appears secular, it is often that disproportionately scapegoat and tied to certain underlying fundamentalist demonize immigrants, people of color, Christian beliefs. and Jews. Conspiracy theories Apocalyptic Christians & the End The Populist movements of the late Times: Some Christian evangelicals are 1800s brought many important reforms, about the impending raised on a diet of conspiracy theories but also developed elaborate conspiracy about secular humanist liberals working theories about the plutocrats and bankers creation of a North American with the secret elites plotting a global New manipulating money.35 Claims of Jewish World Order and One World govern- cabals emerged in the early 1900s, and were Union are now seeping ment on behalf of Satan in the approach- spread through the infamous hoax docu- ing End Times. This is based on a specific ment the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. into discussions within idiosyncratic reading of prophecies in the Communism and the drive for inter- Christian Bible, especially in the book of national cooperation through the League progressive political circles. Revelation. One interpretation is that as of Nations and later the United Nations the End Times approach, Satan sends his were tied to prophetic end times beliefs agent, Antichrist, to achieve world peace about agents of the Antichrist attempting through the construction of a single global to create one unified world government and The Birch Society version of the con- government. The Antichrist tricks some one world religion.36 spiracy is one of three main right-wing nar- Christians into believing he is Jesus in his The anti–immigrant Palmer Raids of ratives of skullduggery which center around Second Coming. True Christians, however, 1919–1920 were justified by wildly exag- Generic Secret Elites, Apocalyptic Chris- see through the evil conspiracy and warn gerated government-issued conspiracy tians and Antisemites. Launched in 1959, others about how trusted political and theories about subversive communists and the Society repackaged as conspiracy the religious leaders are betraying them to anarchists on the brink of toppling U.S. conservative cry of 1950s anticommu- Satan who intends to crush Christianity 45 democracy with bombs and guns.37 nists, moral traditionalists, and economic and establish Hell on Earth. Most famously, during the 1950s libertarians that the federal government was This is the basic plotline behind the suc- McCarthy era, media reports, books, pam- pushing collectivism.43 William F. Buckley cessful fictional Left Behind series of a phlets, and even movies warned of the led a campaign by conservatives to shun the dozen novels that have sold over 70 million Red Menace as a vast subversive conspir- Birch Society for its conspiracy views and copies. They are authored by Tim LaHaye 46 acy controlled from Moscow.38 the public perception (of mixed validity) and Jerry B. Jenkins. LaHaye argues in his These conspiracy theories were repack- that the group was a safe harbor for white theological newsletter that the “fascination aged numerous times, with right-wing supremacists and antisemites.44 From the (or obsession) of the elite of this world for groups such as the John Birch Society and 1960s through the 1980s, most organ- “globalism” or a “One World Order” or Liberty Lobby peddling them in the 1960s ized conspiracism was limited to marginal “One World Government” is almost every- and the 1970s.39 (a detailed timeline of these groups on the political right with small where.” LaHaye believes that conspiracy theories is online, see note at constituencies networked through print the elitists who control our govern- end).40 publications and conferences. During this ment-run educational system…have

THE PUBLIC EYE 14 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

prepared our nation’s children to be members of the socialist world gov- Can YouTube Recognize Hateful Videos? ernment which they are planning. Many of them don’t realize that con- Dozens of videos concerning the “North American Union” conspiracy theory are trol of that government will be taken posted on YouTube, including some that are clearly antisemitic. YouTube has a stated away from them and end up in the policy that it will consider deleting videos flagged as ‘Inappropriate’” 47 hands of the antichrist. We encourage free speech and defend everyone’s right to express unpopular LaHaye is a founder of the Christian points of view. But we don’t permit hate speech (speech which attacks or demeans Right and its early political action network a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran the Council for National Policy. He is a key status, and sexual orientation/gender identity). player in pushing the Republican Party to After watching the video “Zionist Chertoff's Subversive North American Union the right over the past 30 years. Apocalyptic Plan,” I flagged it as “Inappropriate.” beliefs like these are currently playing a role in the way some Christian fundamental- The video is so obviously antisemitic that it plays like a Saturday Night Live hoax ists view contemporary politics, U.S. for- video ridiculing antisemitism. I mean, in this video, Jews are portrayed with the Devil’s eign and domestic policy, and even the horns, dogs wear the Star of David. It is not subtle. The video traces back to a website 2008 Presidential race.48 called, www.realjewnews, with predictable antisemitic content. I thought the link name Jerome Corsi and Howard Phillips, alone might have been a clue that this video might contain hate speech. major proponents of the NAU conspiracy theory, offer views similar to LaHaye’s I flagged this video as “hateful”repeatedly over a period of several weeks. At one about the origins of the plot, but have point I noted in my comments to the automated system, “Anti-Jewish Conspiracy stepped further outside the Republican theories are a form of hate speech that attacks or demeans a protected ethnic group.” Party. Phillips is founder of the ultra-right Constitution Party, and its former presi- I also posted public comments stating that the video was antisemitic. Here was one dential candidate in 1992 and 1996. response: Formed as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992, the Constitution Party has adopted “Anti-Semitic” has been so abused that I wouldn’t even address those who throw a platform generously described as calling it around. It’s like hearing Oprah, Barack, Colin, Condie, Jay-Z, Clarence Thomas, L. Douglas Wilder (and on and on) whine about how hard it is being for a theocratic imposition of Christian Bib- black. Ignore the ignorant folks who, in their desperation, can only turn to 49 lical law in the United States. According name-calling, as stick w/ your point. to WorldNet Daily (WND), Jerome Corsi “resigned as a WND staff reporter” in May I repeatedly contacted a public spokesperson for YouTube and asked what criteria 2007 and said he had “joined the Consti- they used to determine if a particular video was anti-Jewish or antisemitic hates speech. tution Party” and was “willing to explore They kept referring me to the community guidelines statement posted above. Who a serious pursuit of the nomination” for its decides what is bigoted? What criteria are used? I sent them this message: candidate as President.50 In the 1996 race the Constitution Party [I] am seeking a copy of the standards you folks use to consider delisting videos was on the ballot in some form in 39 that might be bigoted, especially those relating to anti-Semitism. states, and Phillips’ vice presidential run- YouTube responded with an e-mail that repeated boilerplate from the above ning mate was Herbert W. Titus, an ultra- statement of “community guidelines.” conservative Christian attorney who later represented Roy Moore, the judge who As I said, we do not control the content on our site. It is our community that fought to keep a two-and-one-half-ton polices the site and flags content they deem inappropriate. YouTube reviews the granite monument representation of the flagged videos and removes everything that violates our Guidelines. Once again, Ten Commandments in his courthouse in as is clearly stated in the sentence you quote, hate speech is not allowed on the site. If a flagged video is found to contain hate speech it will be removed from our site. Montgomery, Alabama.51 Titus is currently legal counsel to The Liberty Committee, Three times I pressed for details. Same circular response. No details. No criteria which supports legislation to block the revealed. Trust them to know what bigotry is. North American Union, (H.R. 40).52 The Liberty Committee also supports “The Finally, as this issue went to press, YouTube removed the video with the message American Sovereignty Restoration Act, “This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.” H.R. 1146 [which] ends United States

THE PUBLIC EYE 15 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye membership in the United Nations;” and including a video version on YouTube, conspiracy theories, the Patriot Movement “H.R. 190 -Social Security for American posted on January 10, 2008 which garnered and armed militias and libertarian ideology Citizens Only Act.”53 Given these ties, it is some 240 views in its first five days online.55 intersected and flourished.57 This period also no surprise an End Times-oriented website One of the most influential purveyors saw the collapse of the Soviet bloc, President becomes home to NAU fears like this one: of this antisemitic model of the secret elite Bush using the phrase “New World Order” If the Supreme Court rules against conspiracy theory was Myron Fagan. One to describe his administration’s vision, and gun ownership in the United States, website features his work under the title the approach of the year 2000 which the Council of Foreign Relations is “Myron Fagan Exposes Bankers with their sparked speculation about the approaching completely in the clear to speed the Illuminati, CFR, UN, Godless Commu- End Times among some Christian funda- creation of the North American nism, National Council on Churches [sic] mentalists. All of this fed into Patriot Union. You can do a search on this etc.” According to Fagan: movement speculation about conspiracies web site about our many posts about …this satanic plot was launched as the new millennium approached. the North American Union, a gov- back in the 1760s when it first came The Patriot movement today is one ernment based on the European into existence under the name of current manifestation of what in the past Union model. The European Union the Illuminati. This Illuminati was has been called “Americanist” or “Nativist” model is not a democracy and its rep- organized by one Adam Weishaupt, movements. It is composed of an overlap- resentatives are not directly appointed born a Jew, who was converted to ping series of dissident right-wing social and by the countries that they represent. Catholicism and became a Catholic political movements located between main- priest, and then, at the behest of the stream conservatism and the ultra-right that We believe that the European Union then newly organized House of Roth- is itself made up of neonazis, the Ku Klux model of government may be schild, defected and organized the Klan, and other similar militant and openly adopted by most of the world and will Illuminati. white supremacist and antisemitic racist become the platform by which the groups.58 World Union President (the Naturally, the Rothschilds financed During the height of the Militia Move- antichrist) can come to power.54 that operation, and every war since ment—the short-lived armed wing of the Antisemites: One article clearly in the then, beginning with the French larger “Patriot” movement that crested in category of antisemitic conspiracy theories Revolution, has been promoted by the mid-1990s—there were widespread refers to “Zionist Chertoff’s Subversive the Illuminati operating under var- fears that the U.S. federal government was North American Union Plan” singling out ious names and guises. I say under about to impose a draconian tyrannical dic- Michael Chertoff, the U.S. Secretary of various names and guises because tatorship using jack-booted thugs delivered Homeland Security. after the Illuminati was exposed and in black helicopters sent by the United became too notorious, Weishaupt Nations.59 America’s memory is a Christian her- and his co-conspirators began to Patriot group activists are constantly itage which Jews despise. A North operate under various other names. stepping across boundaries into main- American Union, (by which the U.S., In the United States, immediately stream conservatism on one side or the Mexico, and Canada, will unite as a after World War I, they set up what ultra-right on the other, depending on the sovereign unit), will eradicate Amer- they called the Council on Foreign historic moment, political events, and ica’s Christian memory. This will Relations, commonly referred to as shifting ideology. 60 Especially during the make the Jews very happy. And the the CFR, and this CFR is actually the heyday of the Militia movement in the ‘90s, Jew Michael Chertoff is the leading Illuminati in the United States. And there were close ties between the Patriot instigator of the Anti-Christian its hierarchy, the masterminds in movement and conservative Christian North American Union. control of the CFR, to a very great evangelicals. Patriot movement conspir- NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE extent, are descendants of the origi- acism has real world implications, reach- JEW MICHAEL CHERTOFF nal Illuminati conspirators. But, to ing out to legislators and elected officials POLICING our nation as Secretary conceal that fact, most of them on the state level; and extending up to the and chief of U.S. Homeland Security, changed their original family names federal level with Steve Stockman of Texas he wants to destroy our nation’s sov- to American sounding names.56 and the late Helen Chenoweth of Idaho as ereignty as well. Why? Because Jews examples of Congressional representatives wish to destroy America’s Christian Public Policy & willing to openly push the Patriot move- memory. Conspiracy Theories ment agenda, even as the armed militia movement was fading.61 This antisemitic tirade is crossposted or ears of global cooperation gained an Other national political figures joined referenced at over 100 other websites, Fincreased following in the 1990s as

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When the heads of state dismissed the conspiracy claims and joked about it, the conspiracists were not amused. Phyllis Schlafly responded with a column titled “Bush Refuses to Deny the North American Agenda.” C. Berlet/publiceye.org Phyllis Schlafly in promoting fears of “Global Gover- global governance. They see there’s are frequently interwoven into the fabric nance,” the title of a 1997 video from a way to make it all happen by going of the stories that are told—sometimes with Phyllis Schlafly with the subtitle “The to the heads of state and doing it in references to Satanic End Times plots tied Quiet War Against American Indepen- a secretive way so they can do it to prophecies in the book of Revelation.67 dence.”62 The video featured appearances without a nasty little thing called Right-wing populism often is based on by Congresswoman Chenoweth; Patrick accountability. So they won’t have to racialized, patriarchal, and heterosexist Buchanan, syndicated columnist & “Cross- listen to what We the People want. narratives that buttress a sense of privilege fire” cohost; John Ashcroft, then-U.S. Sen- This is classic right-wing populist and entitlement among a targeted audience ator, Missouri; Jeanne J. Kirkpatrick, rhetoric, with conspiracy theories mixed of straight white Christian men who see former U.S. Ambassador to the United together with the “producerist” narrative themselves as victims. It tends to frame eco- Nations; and Jesse Helms, then-chairman, of being squeezed from secret elites above nomic questions in terms of hard working Senate Foreign Relations Committee. and parasitic immigrants and freeloaders producers pitted against parasites above and 68 Writing in The Nation, Christopher below. below. This technique was used to mobi- Hayes interviewed anti-NAU activists in lize poor and working class whites against Texas, and what surfaced was rhetoric that Right-Wing Populism newly freed Black former slaves after the reflected longstanding conspiracy theo- Civil War.69 It was utilized by George Wal- rogressives need to recognize the pitfalls ries, including one woman who warned lace in his first Presidential campaign, and of right-wing populist rhetoric, espe- about the NAU, using the Patriot buzz P later borrowed by Richard Nixon and the cially when mixed with producerism and words: “Global Governance.”63 Terri Hall Republican Party to create the “Southern apocalypticism, because this constellation is a conservative Republican and Christian Strategy.”70 It exists in stories of “welfare of processes generates conspiracy theories evangelical home schooler who opposes the queens” where race need not be men- that demonize and scapegoat targeted NAU. She told Hayes that it was like the tioned.71 groups rather than focusing on transfor- “robber barons of old.” According to Hall, There is also a natural historic congru- mative social change to extend human “Someone is really jockeying around to ence between the Calvinist-based theology rights. control some things here in America. It of many white evangelicals, and the ideol- Across wide segments of the secular explains the open borders, it explains our ogy of Free Markets and less government and Christian Right you can find con- immigration issues, it explains our free- regulation fostered by the Republican spiracy theorists mobilized through the trade issues, what it’s doing to the middle Party.72 Doug Henwood points out that rhetorical style of right-wing populism.64 class,” she said. “It really all started with despite accurate criticisms of some of his Jean Hardisty refers to this process as NAFTA,” Hall told the reporter, who overly-broad conclusions, the work of his- “mobilizing resentment.”65 Populist antielit- noted that Hall “laughed nervously and torian Richard Hofstadter helps explain this ism as a rhetorical style often takes the form apologetically,” and then said: connection: of attacks on liberals, secularists, intellec- It sounds like a conspiracy. But I do tuals, the news media, and Hollywood.66 Hofstadter’s emphasis on the indi- know there are people who have Allegations that these elites are part of a vast vidualism of American white Protes- tried for a long time to go to this conspiracy against the common people tantism is highly relevant now—it

THE PUBLIC EYE 17 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

illuminates what’s the matter with within, or both. This complexity oppression are likely Kansas, since American white Protes- is one reason mainstream analysts to flourish. Decent tants love “The Market” as an instru- often dismiss such conspiracy people of all political ment of reward and discipline. That theories as “crackpot” or “irra- stripes need to love is not some recent confidence tional.” denounce conspiracy trick perpetrated by Karl Rove, but In a healthy national com- theories as toxic to has deep roots.73 munity, few take conspiracy democracy. 75 According to sociologist S. Wojciech claims seriously. When con- Conspiracy theo- Sokolowski: spiracy theories develop a mass ries about the impend- base, it is usually an indication of ing creation of a North What is at stake here is not reason vs. some ailment in the body politic. American Union are irrationality or stupidity but differ- This is often related to a sense of now seeping into dis- ent cognitive frames that manifest powerlessness and the feeling cussions within pro- themselves, among other things, by that the average person no longer has any gressive political circles. This not only is a a preference for bucolic rural life or real role in influencing government deci- waste of time and energy that is already in for urban diversity. Both are pre- sions that touch their daily lives. short supply on the political Left, but rational, that is, they frame and direct Mark Fenster believes conspiracy theo- steals attention and resources from impor- the rational thought process. ries attempt to “ideologically address real tant progressive campaigns to challenge So if we drop the charge of irra- structural inequities, and constitute a unfair trade, development, and economic tionalism, Hofstadter’s thesis that response to a withering civil society” and policies in Mexico, Canada, and the United traditional American culture tends to the over-concentration of wealth and States. Conspiracy theories undermine 76 ■ be anti-urban and rather local, with power. A fatal flaw in conspiracism, how- struggles for human rights. all the accoutrements of that local- ever, is that it misunderstands how power ... ism—navel gazing, suspicion of out- is actually exercised. A collection of images, charts, and slide siders, suspicion of high culture, We have a natural and appropriate dis- shows related to this article are posted suspicion of big organizations and trust of governments that choose to work online by Political Research Associates at government, love of small business, in secret. Robert Alan Goldberg observes . Unless otherwise noted, exercised at a distance by seemingly selfish all URLs were retrieved February 2, 2008. Sokolowski stresses the interplay of fac- groups zealous in their authority.”77 One tors with a basic right wing frame, the obvious antidote to widespread conspir- “perception of imminent danger,” which acism, then, is to reduce government End Notes creates a need to organize for “safety and 1 secrecy and increase the transparency of Portions of this article were originally written for the journal Revue protection.” According to Sokolowski, Fédéralisme-Régionalisme in Belgium and for a conference paper, government operations and reinvigorate “Protocols to the Left, Protocols to the Right: Conspiracism in this fear factor activates a strong response American Political Discourse at the Turn of the Second Millen- public participation in governance. when added to the constellation of other nium,” Reconsidering “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”: 100 It is clear that some white racial Years After the Forgery, The Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Stud- beliefs of the Right: “the Manichean dual- ies, Boston University, October 30-31, 2005. supremacist and neofascist organizers use ism of good and evil, right and wrong, us 2 Philip Dine, “North American Union? Rumor sweeps the right,” conspiracist theories that do not appear to St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington Bureau, May 13, 2007, and them; the vision of apocalyptic battle online archive; Christopher Hayes, “The NAFTA Superhighway,” have racist or antisemitic themes as a rel- between good and evil; the need for vigi- The Nation, August 27, 2007, atively less-threatening entry point in mak- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070827/hayes ; Drake Bennett, lance and unquestioned support of ‘our’ “The Amero Conspiracy,” Boston Globe, November 25, 2007, ing contact with potential recruits. Phrases http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2007/11/25/the_a side and a militant posture toward ‘them.’” such as “international bankers,” “welfare mero_conspiracy/. 3 queens,” and “one world government” are “Lou Dobbs Unmasks Council on Foreign Relations Treason to Conclusions Erase US Borders, The “Amero” as New Currency,” Awake and interpreted in different ways by different Arise, http://www.awakeandarise.org/article/Borders.htm; Who hen a society is undergoing transi- Really Controls the United States? Crossposted on December 29, listeners, and can be viewed as coded 2007 by ronaldomoon, from http://www.prolognet.qc.ca/ Wtion or turmoil, social movements appeals with bigoted subtexts. clyde/cfr.html, article by Melvin Stickler, “The Council on For- eign Relations and the Trilateral Commission: The two organi- can arise that portray the idealized nation This means that even when conspiracist zations that run the United States,” on Operation Awakening as being subverted by alien ideas. This can blogsite, http://operationawakening.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/who- theories do not center on Jews, people of really-controls-the-united-states/. involve internal or external forces, or both, color, or other scapegoated groups, con- 4 “North American Union & VCHIP Truth” YouTube, July 13, and it can involve the idea that the gov- 2007, Excerpt from the video Zeitgeist by Peter Joseph, spiracism creates an environment where http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo ernment is part of the conspiracy, or that racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and 4E77ZXo&NR=1. the government is being subverted from other forms of prejudice, bigotry, and 5 Flags, see for example, John Birch Society New American, Octo- ber 15, 2007, cover, p. 35, http://www.thenewamerican.com/

THE PUBLIC EYE 18 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

node/6230; for maps, see the same issue, p. 31; for “Ameros” as future 21 Jerome R. Corsi, “More insults about the ‘North American con- (Chicago: 1890); Frank Norris, The Octopus: A Story of Califor- currency, see sales website, http://www.amerocurrency.com/ spiracy’,” Human Events, January, 5 2007, http://www.human- nia, (New York: Doubleday, 1901); _____, The Pit: A Story of buyameros.html, http://www.amerocurrency.com/2007ameros.html. events.com/article.php?id=18790; Jerome R. Corsi, “North Chicago, (New York: Doubleday/Page, 1903). 6 Jerome R. Corsi, “Resolution fights North American Union: Urges American Union isn’t going away,” Human Events, 9 January 2007, 36 Fuller, Naming the Antichrist; Boyer, When Time Shall Be No U.S. to withdraw from Security and Prosperity Partnership,” kicker http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18834 More. heading: “Premeditated Merger,” WorldNetDaily, February 1, 22 North America’s Supercorridor Coalition, Inc., “New home page,” 37 Louis F. Post, The Deportations Delerium of Nineteen-Twenty 2008, http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTI- retrieved 26 November 2007, now changed, http://www.nasco- (Chicago: Charles H. Kerr, 1923); William Preston, Jr., Aliens CLE_ID=59983. See tabulation page at “Get Connected to the corridor.com/new_home_page/NASCO%20Op-Ed%20Melvin.pdf and Dissenters: Federal Suppression of Radicals, 1903–1933, Efforts to STOP the NAU! Keep Our Nations Sovereign, 23 (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1963); Murray B. Levin, Polit- http://www.stopthenau.org/Current_Activities.htm. Hayes, The NAFTA Superhighway. 24 ical Hysteria in America–the Democratic Capacity for Repression, 7 Saul Cornell, The Other Founders: Anti-Federalism & the Dissenting Dine, “North American Union.” (New York: Basic Books, 1971); Robert J. Goldstein, Political Tradition in America, 1788-1828, (Chapel Hill, NC: University 25 Ibid. Repression in Modern America, 1870 to Present, 2nd edition,

of North Carolina Press, 1999). 26 (Rochester VT: Schenkman Books, Inc., 1978), pp. 139-191; Heidi Beirich, “Paranoid Style Redux: Nativist Conspiracy The- Bennett, Party of Fear. 8 “The Dangers of the North American Union,” Conservative ories Explored,” Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Cen- Roundtable interview with Jerome Corsi conducted by Howard ter, Summer 2007, 38 M. J. Heale, McCarthy’s Americans: Red Scare Politics in State and Phillips, online video, http://www.bunker-tv.net/index. http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=797. See Nation, 1935–1965, (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1998; php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=26&task=videodirectlink&id=161. especially the work of Sara Posner and David Neiwert on the Orci- _____, American Anticommunism: Combating the Enemy Within, 1830–1970, (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 9 Bennett, “The amero conspiracy.” nus blog, http://dneiwert.blogspot.com; and Ed Brayton at Posi- tive Liberty, http://positiveliberty.com/author/ed-brayton. 1990); Joel Kovel, Red Hunting in the Promised Land: Anticom- 10 Pat Buchanan, “The NAFTA Super Highway,” 27 munism and the Making of America, (New York, Basic Books, Town Hall online, August 26, 2006, Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, “President 1994). http://www.townhall.com/columnists/Patrick- Bush Participates in Joint Press Availability with Prime Minis- 39 Frank P. Mintz, The Liberty Lobby and the American Right: Race, JBuchanan/2006/08/29/the_nafta_super_highway; Cliff Kin- ter Harper of Canada, and President Calderón of Mexico, Fair- Conspiracy, and Culture, (Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1985). caid, “North American Union ‘Conspiracy’ Exposed,” Special mont Le Chateau Montebello, Montebello, Canada,” 21 August Report, Accuracy in Media, February 19, 2007 2007, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070821 40 For details on periodic scapegoating through conspiracy theo- http://www.aim.org/special-report/north-american-union-con- -3.html. ries, see “Scapegoat timeline,” Political Research Associates, spiracy-exposed/; “Merger in the making: North American Union 28 Phyllis Schlafly, “Bush refuses to deny the North American http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/federalism/ edition,” The New American, Special Issue, John Birch Society, agenda,” column, Eagle Forum, September 7, 2007, fears.html#scapegoat. October, 15, 2007; Jerome R. Corsi, “Congress debate begins http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2007/sept07/07-09-05.html. 41 Marcela Sanchez, “Stop, Stop! A North American Union! As some on North America Union,” WorldNetDaily, September 25, 29 stoke fears of ‘dangerous’ partnership, reality takes a detour,” Wash- 2007, http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTI- “Merger in the making: North American Union edition,” The ington Post Online, Friday, July 13, 2007, http://www.washing- CLE_ID=57817l Jerome R. Corsi, “Bush Administration qui- New American, Special Issue, John Birch Society, 15 October tonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR200707130055 etly plans NAFTA Super Highway,” Human Events, June 12, 2007, http://www.thenewamerican.com/node/6230. 3.html. 2006, http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15497. On 30 Kevin Parkinson, “Canadians completely unaware of looming Ron Paul, various newsletters and press releases including those North American Union: Bush and Calderon to visit Canada,” 42 Larry Greenley, “Even President Bush called the Security and Pros- online at http://www.house.gov/paul/press/press2006/pr100406.htm; Global Research, July 17, 2007, http://www.globalresearch. perity Partnership a ‘Union’ back in 2005,” JBS News Feed, John http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2006/tst103006.htm; ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6346. Birch Society, July 14, 2007, http://www.jbs.org/node/4722. http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2006/tst082806.htm. 31 Corsi, “Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super 43 Jerome L. Himmelstein, To The Right: The Transformation of Amer- 11 Mark Anderson, “Idaho Nixes ‘American Union’: Thirteen states Highway.” On criticsm of Project Censored, See Don Hazen, ican Conservatism, (Berkeley: University of California Press, join Idaho lawmakers to stop globalist plan for the Americas,” “Beyond project censored: It’s time for a new award,” AlterNet, 1990), 45-60. American Free Press Net, Issue #15, April 9, 2007, http://www.amer- April 1, 2000, http://www.alternet.org/story/202/; Brooke Shelby 44 Ibid., p. 68; Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons, Right-Wing Pop- icanfreepress.net/html/american_union.html; Mark Anderson, Biggs, “The Unbearable Lameness of Project Censored,” Mother ulism in America: Too Close for Comfort, (New York: Guilford Press, “Stop the Mexican Truck Invasion: Longtime activist calls on Jones, 11 April 2000, http://www.motherjones.com/ 2000), 175-198; Mintz, The Liberty Lobby and the American Right. Americans to unite and call their congressmen,” American Free commentary/columns/2000/04/projectcensored.html; David Walls, Press Net Issue #12, March 19, 2007, http://www.american- “Dubious sources: How project censored joined the whitewash 45 On the influence of apocalyptic thinking in the United States, freepress.net/html/mexican_truck_invasion.html. of Serb atrocities,” New Politics, Vol. 9, No. 1, issue 33, Summer Fuller, Naming the Antichrist; Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More; Damian Thompson, The End of Time: Faith and Fear in the 12 “‘Late, Great USA’ a New York Times best-seller: 2002, http://www.wpunj.edu/newpol/issue33/walls33.htm. Shadow of the Millennium, Hanover, NH: University Press of New Controversial exposé on North American Union shoots up 32 Michael Barkun, “Conspiracy theories as stigmatized knowledge: England, [1996] 1998). charts,” World Net Daily, July 19, 2007, http://www.wnd. The basis for a new age racism?,” in Jeffrey Kaplan and Tore Bjørgo, com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56741. (eds), Nation and race: The developing euro-American racist sub- 46 Brenda E. Brasher and Chip Berlet, “Imagining Satan: Modern Christian Right Print Culture as an Apocalyptic Master Frame.” 13 Bennett, “The Amero Conspiracy”; Alexander Zaitchik, “Con- culture, (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998), 58-72. Paper presented at the Conference on Religion and the Culture servatives in love: A writer and an activist gaze into each other’s 33 Richard Hofstadter, “The paranoid style in American politics,” of Print in America, Center for the History of Print Culture in eyes and see an America imperiled,” (review of Minutemen: The in Hofstadter, The paranoid style in American politics and other Modern America, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison, September battle to secure America’s borders by Jim Gilchrist and Jerome R. essays, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965), 3–40; David Brion 10-11, 2004, online at http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/12/ Corsi, foreword by Tom Tancredo, (Torrance, CA: World Ahead Davis, (ed), The Fear of Conspiracy: Images of Un–American Sub- 4/215653/695; Chip Berlet, “The World According to Tim Publishing, 2006), Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Cen- version from the Revolution to the Present, Cornell University Press, LaHaye: Chapter One - Hunting Down the Enemies,” Eight part ter, Issue 124, Winter 2006, http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel- Ithaca, NY, 1971; Richard O. Curry and Thomas M. Brown, series online, http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/ report/article.jsp?aid=730. See also Corsi biographical blurbs “Introduction,” in Curry & Brown, (eds), Conspiracy: The Fear 6/26/122744/780. below his articles on wnd.com. of Subversion in American History, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 47 Tim LaHaye, “The Prophetic Significance of Sept. 11, 2001,” 14 “MMFA investigates: Who is Jerome Corsi, co-author of Swift New York, 1972; D.H. Bennett, The Party of Fear: The Amer- Pre-Trib Perspectives, 6:7, October 2001, 3; Tim LaHaye, Boat Vets attack book?” Media Matters for America, http://media- ican Far Right from Nativism to the Militia Movement, revised, “Tim’s Pre-Trib Perspective,” Pre-Trib Perspectives, 6:10, Febru- matters.org/items/200408060010, citing http://www.freerepub- Vintage Books, New York, [1988] 1995); John Higham, Strangers ary 2002, 1-3. Tim LaHaye, “119 Million American Evangeli- lic.com/focus/f-news/839664/posts and http://www.freerepublic. in the Land: Patterns of American Nativism 1860–1925, cals in These Last Days?” Pre-Trib Perspectives, April 2003, p. 3; com/focus/fnews/1100812/posts?q=1&&page=201. Atheneum, New York, [1955] 1972; Robert Alan Goldberg, Ene- mies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America, Tim LaHaye, “One Global Government or Two?” Pre-Trib Per- 15 Jerome R. Corsi, “Bush Administration quietly plans NAFTA (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001). spectives, 8:4, July 2003, 1-2. Super Highway,” Human Events, June 12, 2006, 34 48 Fuller, Naming the Antichrist; Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More; http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15497. Justin Nordstrom, Danger on the Doorstep: Anti-Catholicism and American Print Culture in the Progressive Era, (University Thompson, The End of Time; On U.S. domestic policies, 16 Patrick J. Buchanan, “The NAFTA Super Highway.” of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame: IN, 2006). Michelle Goldberg, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/PatrickJ 35 Nationalism, (New York: W.W. Norton, 2006); Esther Kaplan, Buchanan/2006/08/29/the_nafta_super_highway. Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style, 238-313; _____The Age of With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Tram- Reform: From Bryan to F.D.R. (New York: 1955), 23-172; David pled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush’s White House, 17 Track H.Con.Res.40 at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgiIraq War, And examples, see W. H. “Coin” Harvey, Coin’s Financial School Still Imperils America’s Future, (New York: Scribner, 2007; Paul 19 Bennett, “The Amero Conspiracy.” (Chicago: Coin Publishing, 1894); Sarah E.V. Emery, Seven Boyer, “John Darby Meets Saddam Hussein: Foreign Policy and 20 Corsi, “Congress debate begins on North America Union. Financial Conspiracies Which Have Enslaved the American Bible Prophecy,” Chronicle of Higher Education , supplement, The phrase “Premeditated Merger,” is a pun on the legal phrase People; or Gordon Clark’s Shylock: as Banker, Bondholder, Cor- February 14, 2003, pp. B 10-B11, Michael Northcott, An Angel “Premeditated Murder.” On JBS use of slogan, see The New Amer- ruptionist, Conspirator (Lansing, MI, [1878] 1892); Ignatius ican, Special Issue, John Birch Society, October, 15 2007. Donnelly, Caesar’s Column: A Story of the Twentieth Century North American Union continues on page 30

THE PUBLIC EYE 19 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye COMMENTARY continued from page 2 and GLBTQ rights, and the need to shore portions.” ify the immigration status of would-be up American’s border, among them. Its vit- More recently, he said, a plot against Fort workers. Herndon closed its job center in riol also extends to the Clintons and its Dix was discovered and thwarted. The September 2007, something Judicial Watch “Hillary Watch” posits her as an ethical masterminds? Three men, in the U.S. ille- takes credit for. nightmare. gally, who had previously been cited for The group has also championed—and Krikorian was the first to raise the speeding, driving without a license, disor- has worked to popularize—Hazelton, specter of violent foreign hordes. “On derly conduct, and possession of mari- Pennsylvania’s 2006 Rental Registration December 12, 2002, a 42-year-old woman juana. A few months later, in August 2007, Ordinance. The ordinance requires tenants was abducted and gang raped on Long four innocent African American college stu- to show proof of citizenship or legal resi- Island. The woman was a legal immigrant. dents were shot, execution-style, in dency and obtain an occupancy permit Four of the five Mexican men responsible Newark, New Jersey. The perpetrators? before a landlord can rent to them. were illegal. Three of the five had repeat- Undocumented men who had previously Conservatives say that these efforts have edly been arrested by the New York Police been arrested for “barroom brawls and begun to pay off. The nonpartisan Migra- Department but NYPD never checked to aggravated sexual assault.” tion Policy Institute agrees, citing the see if they were legally in the country. Invoking fear is front and center in this 1000-plus bills aimed at regulating immi- That’s because New York is a sanctuary city. schema. Despite documented evidence of grants that came before state legislatures in Despite Mayor Bloomberg’s denial, city low criminality among immigrants—arrest 2007. The156 that passed run the gamut, employees do not cooperate with immi- and incarceration rates are below that of the from fining landlords who rent to the undoc- gration officials.” native born— Fitton, Fonte and Krikorian umented to directing state and local police “That 700,000 state and local law want the government to protect Americans to report immigrant offenders to ICE. enforcement agents across the country from potential terrorists and criminals, Although Fitton, Fonte and Krikorian refuse to use immigration law as one of their aka “illegal immigrants,” using whatever are cheered by these developments, they are tools is foolish,” he continued. “Law means are necessary. By calling up actual far from satisfied. Their vision includes not enforcement should act as if every city is a tragedies, they conjure a predictable emo- only mass deportations, but the shutting border city and every state is a border state.” tional response, reality be damned. down of all “sanctuary cities.” Krikorian Fonte went one further, invoking 9-11. The trio place most of the responsibil- laid out the game plan: first, convince the “Five of the hijackers were in violation of ity for stemming unlawful entry on local, Department of Justice to cut funds to immigration laws,” he began. “Four had state and federal agencies. Nonetheless, they “sanctuary cities” by ten percent a year until been stopped for traffic violations but also see a role for the grassroots. Judicial the cities “cry uncle.” Secondly, enforce their immigration status was never checked. Watch’s staffers, for example, have sued the cooperation between ICE, law enforcement This was a missed opportunity of tragic pro- Chicago, D.C., and Los Angeles police and social service agencies. departments for failing to report suspected In short, they want to remove what’s left Eleanor J. Bader is a teacher and writer whose unauthorized immigrants to federal author- of the welcome mat for the world’s hun- reporting frequently appears in The Brook- ities and have initiated lawsuits against gry, poor and tempest tossed, burying, lyn Rail, Library Journal and The New Laguna Beach, California and Herndon, once and for all, Emma Lazarus’ vision for York Law Journal. Virginia to force day labor centers to ver- this country. ■

Read the best analysis about the Christian Right on Talk2Action.org! Talk2Action is a group blog led by Public Eye writer and editorial board member Frederick Clarkson. Read weekly contributions from Fred, Political Research Associates researcher Chip Berlet, and the rest of the best thinkers about the Christian Right. Visit Talk2Action.org.

THE PUBLIC EYE 20 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye PUSHED TO THE ALTAR continued from page 1 “fatherhood movement.” Now inside the for certain people (excluding same-sex Framing Marriage, Fatherhood government, he morphed his fatherhood couples), and further the stereotype of and Welfare campaign of the 1990s — which promoted female welfare recipients and their children y definition, conservatives seek to con- men as the God-given leader of families and as socially and economically handicapped Bserve the status quo—present condi- obedient wives — into a government pro- without the presence of a male family tions. They see what progressives call “social gram to promote heterosexual marriage head. Further, they demonstrate how the change” as dangerous and destabilizing for and fatherhood as a solution to the poverty public has been encouraged by the Right society. But the contemporary U.S. Right of those who remained as welfare recipients. to feel free to invade the privacy of low- is determined to return to the status quo Marriage promotion and fatherhood income women and manipulate them by ante—that is, a period before the present initiatives are just two examples of how the threatening their subsistence income. time. As a result, it is what is known in polit- Right has moved from ideas to messaging The Bush Administration sanctioned ical analysis as “reactionary.” to capturing political power, on to devel- the use of federal welfare funds, already cut The reactionary forces within the oping programs, and finally to policy to an unconscionable level, specifically to Republican Party gained control of the implementation. The Right’s ideological fund marriage programs targeting welfare Party as a whole with the election of focus on family, the free market, and min- Ronald Reagan as President in 1980. At imal government touched a chord in the that historic moment, the Right—now U.S. public that was, and often still is, in calling itself the “New Right” to distance a mood of reaction against the 1960s and itself from the discredited Old Right of liberalism. But there was more to the During the 1990s, Senator Barry Goldwater, the John Birch Right’s success than its timely and resonant Society, and the Ku Klux Klan—attained message. Its success has also rested on a keen the Right presented its the ability to legitimize its ideology and understanding of itself as a movement and implement some of the policies that flow of the importance of nurturing movement family values theme as from that ideology. infrastructure and promoting movement “Welfare” benefits have always been leaders. an antidote to the social strongly symbolic within the larger agenda In this case, the goal of the Right’s of the contemporary Right. The Right’s agenda is to replace “liberal” programs that changes that had leaders and followers mock what they call are known to raise people out of poverty— liberalism’s habit of “coddling” the poor, such as education, jobs that pay a living occurred during the claiming that it weakens the poor by pro- wage, health care, child care, and subsi- viding the necessities of food and shelter, dized housing. Further, by channeling preceding thirty years, without which they would be harder work- money through faith-based programs, ers. It is no surprise that “welfare reform” they diminish the separation of church and especially the rise became an early commitment of the New state. In 2005, Congress legitimized these Right in the late 1970s and 1980s. conservative programs by funding mar- of feminism. Reagan himself repeatedly told a story riage promotion and fatherhood funding of Linda Taylor, a welfare recipient in at the level of $150 million annually for Chicago, who allegedly had defrauded the five years. Illinois Department of Welfare of $8,000. Attempts to raise low-income women recipients. The Healthy Families Initiative With each telling the amount increased, out of poverty with marriage and father- of HHS’s Administration for Children and until Reagan was reporting that she had hood programs are hardly benign. They ele- Families targets African-American, His- defrauded the Welfare Department of vate a patriarchal version of family panic, and Native American communities $150,000.1 structure, denigrate the role and abilities in particular for special marriage promotion Since the creation of the New Right in of single mothers, endorse marriage only and fatherhood projects. By supporting the 1970s, the Right’s leadership has known conservatism within these communities, the the importance of avoiding the label Jean V. Hardisty, a political scientist, is sen- Right is building its movement and lend- “racist,” lest they show their roots in the dis- ior scholar at The Wellesley Centers for ing credence to its dubious claim of being credited segregationism of the Old Right. Women at Wellesley College and President colorblind. At the same time, it is promot- By stereotyping welfare recipients as Emerita of Political Research Associates. ing its political agenda and public policies African-American and demonizing them This article is excerpted from a report of the from within the communities, rather than as women of loose sexual morals who are same name published by PRA and the Women a less-subtle imposition of those ideas from prone to defraud government agencies, of Color Resource Center. the arena of white politics. the Right was able to mobilize the racial

THE PUBLIC EYE 21 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye resentment of large numbers of white vot- sion” provision that allows the states to deny The remaining six statements address ers against welfare recipients. In order to any increase in benefits to a mother who child support, single-mother families, teen escape the label “racist,” the Right devel- becomes pregnant and gives birth while pregnancy, and out-of-wedlock births. oped an analysis of virtue and achievement receiving welfare; 2) denial of food stamps None of these statements addresses: poor as “colorblind”—adhering to individuals to most documented immigrants who are housing; substandard education; lack of regardless of race. Thus, a campaign against not yet naturalized; 3) a five-year lifetime health care; institutional racism and sexism; “undeserving” people is not racist, but cutoff of welfare benefits; 4) bonuses to lack of employment opportunities; or simply corrects injustices done to “good, states that remove the greatest number of language barriers. The 1996 Republican working people” who do not receive gov- people from welfare rolls; 5) reduced food Congress placed marriage at the center of ernment assistance. stamp assistance to millions of children in its framing of the poverty the law is The Reagan years also promoted the working families; and 6) payment of a intended to address.3 thinking of sociologist George Gilder about In June 1995, President Clinton had the poverty-fighting power of marriage. launched a government-wide initiative to According to Gilder, monogamous marriage strengthen the role of fathers in families, and family formation cause men to become which expanded HHS' efforts to assist productive by making them responsible for Christian fatherhood men in their roles as fathers. But it was not the maintenance of the family. Compared until the election of George W. Bush in to the alleged lower productivity of bach- campaigns of the 1990s 2000 that this initiative was advanced, elors, Gilder states that “A married man … publicized, and given a large amount of is spurred by the claims of family to chan- promoted men as funding, and the federal bureaucracy began nel his otherwise disruptive male aggressions to fully implement the marriage and fam- into this performance as a provider for a wife the God-given leader ily formation aspects of welfare reform. The and children.”2 Administration teamed up with the Her- Gilder thus ties marriage to national pro- of families and itage Foundation to develop programs ductivity and asserts that laziness and lack now being implemented across the coun- of personal responsibility cause poverty. He obedient wives. try with federal and state funding, includ- goes to great lengths to negate the role of ing: advertising campaigns on the value of discrimination in creating poverty, and marriage and the skills needed to increase defends capitalism as offering prosperity to marital stability and health; education in anyone who works hard. high schools on the value of marriage, This is one example of bad social science: bonus to states that reduce the number of relationship skills, and budgeting; and The assertion that marriage and fatherhood out-of-wedlock births (known among wel- marriage education, marriage skills, and will cure poverty is simply unproven. fare rights activists as the “illegitimacy relationship skills programs that may While Gilder provided a blueprint dur- bonus”). include parenting skills, financial man- ing the Reagan years, it was only after the Often overlooked is the law’s emphasis agement, conflict resolution, and job and Republicans gained control of the House on marriage as a means to improve chil- career advancement for nonmarried preg- of Representatives under the leadership of drearing and lift recipients out of poverty. nant women and nonmarried expectant Congressman Newt Gingrich of Georgia The first three of nine declarative state- fathers.4 in the 1994 elections that they could more ments that introduce the provisions of the As a result of the Administration’s com- fully realize his vision. They delivered to bill are: mitment to funding faith-based organi- President Bill Clinton’s desk the 1996 1. Marriage is the foundation of a zations, much of the federal money for “Welfare Reform” act, which created Tem- successful society. these programs has gone to religious organ- porary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) to izations or to groups heavily influenced by replace Aid to Families with Dependent 2. Marriage is an essential institution conservative evangelical and fundamen- Children (AFDC). As its name implies, of a successful society that pro- talist Christianity.5 Although the federal TANF is a welfare program that ends the motes the interests of children. government has long funded religious federal government’s commitment to an charities, it previously stipulated that they 3. Promotion of responsible father- indefinite safety net for poor women and receive the money through a secular arm hood and motherhood is integral their children. and adhere to strict rules for separation of to successful childrearing and the Signed by Clinton, the law contains church and state. That meant no prayer or well-being of children. stunning victories for the Right’s agenda, other form of worship in the program, and including: 1) a “family cap” or “child exclu- no religiously-based discrimination in hir-

THE PUBLIC EYE 22 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye ing. The Bush Administration has resisted the [Compassion Capital] fund is also a tool Pro-Marriage Activism: From these restrictions and implemented the $2 of realpolitik.”7 The funds advance a sys- Grassroots to Government billion “Charitable Choice” program by tematic Republican courtship of conser- lthough ideas have consequences, they administrative fiat since Congress has never vative African-American and Latino voters Ado not become policy unless there is passed Charitable Choice legislation.6 by providing government funding to explic- pressure brought to bear by institutions, The 1996 “Welfare Reform” law had itly African-American and Latino organi- organizers, activists, and voters. This net- opened the door to the use of TANF money zations, showcasing support for a segment work of national and local institutions, to promote “healthy marriage” through reli- of those communities. informal groups, and fellow-travelers con- gious charities by allowing states to admin- The Christian Right’s marriage and stitutes a movement “infrastructure.” ister and provide welfare funds through fatherhood activism of the 1990s provided Attention to nurturing and strengthening nongovernmental entities. Arizona and a solid base for the Bush Administration’s this network is usually called “movement Oklahoma were the first states to use redirection of poverty programming in building.” TANF money to fund marriage initia- the first decade of the 21st Century. During the 1990s, the Right presented tives, followed by Utah and West Virginia. its family values theme as an antidote to the Beginning in 1996, West Virginia notori- ously provided a $100 monthly welfare bonus to recipients who marry, though the program has since been suspended. By the Bush years, the funds were flow- ing. In Dallas, the Friendship West Baptist Church won $546,025 per year from 2006 to 2011 in African American-targeted funds for a media campaign, marriage education and a teen program. Another $550,000 a year distributed through a ministers' network is supporting the pas- toral teaching of a Keys to a Healthy Mar- riage curriculum to black youth in 25 cities over the same time period. It is difficult to know exactly how much state and federal money goes to support marriage promotion programs. The 2005 Deficit Reduction Act has authorized $100 million per year for five years for a total of $500 million. But, according to Timothy Casey of Legal Momentum, it is not pos- sible to name the exact figure. One com- plicating factor in researching the amount of money awarded to programs and states for marriage promotion is that some mar- riage promotion grants are made not only through separate funding streams within HHS, such as the $30 million Compassion Capital Fund, but also through Executive Branch departments other than HHS, such as the Department of Justice. Together, federal and state faith-based funding, as journalist Jason DeParle said, “seeks a third way between cold government and cool indifference [to those in need]. Yet with much of the money flowing to con- servative supporters of President Bush, Andy Singer/politicalcartoons.com

THE PUBLIC EYE 23 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye social changes that had occurred during the The stadium rallies held by Promise The titular head of the movement was preceding thirty years, especially the rise of Keepers across the country were a media Wade Horn, leader of the largest and most feminism. In 1995, the rate of divorce sensation for at least two years. They were powerful of the fatherhood organizations, stood at approximately 50 percent, pre- huge, professional productions, with a the National Fatherhood Initiative. Other senting a challenge to the traditional invi- soundstage and production values to rival prominent leaders included David olability of marriage vows. Families had a large industrial convention. The Promise Blankenhorn, David Popenoe, and Don become increasingly “melded” — made up Keepers’ budget midstream in its organiz- Eberly.9 of two divorced parents and their respec- ing in 1995 was estimated to be $22 mil- As Wade Horn acknowledges, these tive children. Single motherhood had lion. The budget peaked at an estimated sectors were not all on the same ideolog- increased dramatically, growing across $117 million in 1997, then declined fol- ical page: social classes, and had lost much of its lowing the successful Million Man March Religiously oriented advocates believe social stigma. At the same time, the num- on the National Mall in October 1997, fatherhood is part of God’s plan, ber of gay and lesbian families was begin- which seemed to sap its coffers. Still, the without recognition of which the ning to grow, presenting perhaps the most Promise Keepers continues to host regional institution of fatherhood will not serious challenge of all to the traditional het- events—19 in 2006 alone—as it contin- be recovered. Fathers’ rights advocates erosexual nuclear family model. The Right’s ues to promote an anti-abortion, antigay, consider the current focus on dead- leadership blasted all these social changes conservative fatherhood agenda. beat dads inaccurate and counter- and blamed them on liberalism, especially productive and lobby for divorce the women’s movement and the gay rights and child custody reforms. Advocates movement. for low-income men believe poor One movement response from the Right Federal marriage economic circumstances are a pri- was massive Promise Keeper rallies. These mary cause of fatherlessness and see evangelical Christian revivals, for men promotion funds advance the solution in job training and edu- only, were launched in 1990 by University cation programs for disadvantaged of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney a systematic Republican and minority men. Culturalists to teach men the importance of their role believe fatherlessness is a failure of our as husbands and fathers. They were also courtship of conservative culture to reinforce a compelling intended to recruit men to the ranks of the fatherhood script and seek the defi- Christian Right and lure them back to African-American and nition of one. Marriage advocates conservative Christian churches, which believe only a restoration of the insti- for decades have been attended and main- Latino constituents. tution of marriage will lead to a tained predominantly by women wor- renewal of fatherhood.10 shipers. Specifically addressing the role of a woman within a marriage, Rev. Tony This diversity of ideology and agenda Evans of the Promise Keepers states in within the fatherhood movement allows the Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper: While media coverage of Promise Keep- movement to present many faces to the ers’ activities in the 1990s was intense, the world. Its most militant wing calls itself the I can hear you saying “I want to be a “fathers’ rights” movement and is led by spiritually pure man. Where do I press paid little attention to various con- ferences and meetings that were simulta- fathers on a crusade to put right the injus- start?” The first thing you do is sit tices done to them by: 1) the divorce court down with your wife and say some- neously organizing a rightist “fatherhood movement,” largely made up of white “system;” 2) their “vengeful and spiteful” thing like this: “Honey, I’ve made a ex-wives (who were inevitably abetted by terrible mistake. I’ve given you my leaders and members. The movement is focused on issues such as divorce, custody “the system”); or 3) “man-hating femi- role. I gave up leading this family, and nists” and welfare workers who have stolen I forced you to take my place. Now of children, child support payments, “false” accusations of abuse, and control of access their children after their wives brought I must reclaim that role.”… there can false accusations of battering or incest be no compromise here. If you’re to children (for instance, by blocking the mother and child/children from moving against them. going to lead, you must lead. Be sen- The debut of the slightly more moder- sitive. Listen. Treat the lady gently out of state). The fatherhood movement represents ate center/right fatherhood movement and lovingly. But lead. (Emphasis occurred at a “National Summit on Father- in the original.)8 a serious attack on divorced women, women who are single parents, and same- hood,” held in Dallas, Texas, in October sex families. 1994. It was sponsored by The National

THE PUBLIC EYE 24 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

Fatherhood Initiative, the largest and most Christian Right theological principles are can Values.15 The statement, whose signa- respectable of the fatherhood groups. This central, and adherents often refer to Chris- tories ranged from conservative to liberal, meeting was followed by a 1996 conference tianity as the basis for the movement’s cites declining economic opportunity for convened in Minneapolis by the move- legitimacy. The movement explicitly sup- inner-city Black men, racial discrimination, ment’s leadership. The Minneapolis con- ports patriarchy, asserting that it is dam- and a culture that increasingly has become ference resulted in the definitive statement aging to children for them to grow up uninterested in marriage. But clearly that of the ideology and agenda of the father- without a father present in the home. unity has not held. hood movement, titled “A Call to Father- Importantly, there is a liberal sector of The most important institutionalization hood,” published in a collection of essays the fatherhood movement that is often of the conservative fatherhood ethos prior titled The Fatherhood Movement: A Call to called “profeminist fatherhood.” These to the George W. Bush Administration was Action.11 Marvin Olasky, a principal archi- groups, such as Dads and Daughters, the the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention’s tect of the Bush Administration’s faith- National Center for Fathering, A Call to resolution on marriage. It maintains that based initiatives, was an original signer of Men, and the Fathering Program of the wives should voluntarily yield to their hus- this Call. Men’s Resource Center for Change, organ- bands, following Saint Paul’s words to While A Call to Action is a comprehen- ize men to be better fathers while taking on husbands and wives. The Southern Baptist sive introduction to the movement and problems of male dominance. Rightist Convention is the largest Baptist group in required reading for anyone interested in fatherhood groups have stereotyped these the world and the largest Protestant denom- the Bush Administration’s family policy, it groups as not representing “real men.”13 ination in the United States. It is second tends to present the movement as self- only to the Roman Catholic Church in invented by its leadership. The movement U.S. membership. Its marriage resolution actually owes a great deal to several intel- drew substantial media attention because lectual and activist predecessors, especially: Ideological common its adoption followed a hard-fought battle Daniel Patrick Moynihan of the well- in backrooms and on the convention floor.16 known and controversial “Moynihan ground between liberal Despite the Right’s support for the Report” (1965); George Gilder and the principles of the fatherhood movement, “family values” agenda developed by the and conservative neither the Christian Right nor The Her- New Right during the Reagan and George itage Foundation envisioned using federal H. W. Bush Administrations; the mythopo- fatherhood groups is funds to promote its principles. It took the etic men’s movement headed by Robert Bly election of George W. Bush in 2000 for this and captured in his book, Iron John: A Book elusive at best. to happen. About Men; and the national activism of Promise Keepers.12 Fatherhood and Marriage Pro- The 1999 book, The Fatherhood Move- motion in Black Communities ment, edited by Wade F. Horn, David Senator and presidential candidate hite marriage and fatherhood pro- Blankenhorn, and Mitchell B. Pearlstein, Barack Obama, who himself grew up with Wmoters see low-income communi- pulls together the movement’s major arti- little contact with his father, has urged ties of color as their most challenging cles and serves as its guidebook. When fathers in the Black community to be more project. Because many families in these Horn was appointed Assistant Secretary for responsible and has linked their absence to communities do not conform to the model Children and Families at HHS and put in family poverty.14 Because he is considered heterosexual, nuclear family configuration, charge of the Bush Administration’s pro- a liberal on social and economic issues, his they are identified by rightists and also grams for welfare recipients, the centerpiece voice is one strain of the liberal pro-father- many liberals as “problem” or “unhealthy” of his policy implementation was to fund hood position, one often expressed by communities. marriage promotion and fatherhood pro- Democrats in the House and Senate. However, to effect change in low- grams, putting the federal seal of approval Ideological common ground between income communities of color, the prima- on the importance of a father in low- liberal and conservative fatherhood groups rily white fatherhood movement must income families. is elusive at best. The best recent effort to gain access to them. Under Horn, HHS' Despite its ideological diversity, a few achieve some degree of unity was a mod- primary strategies involved awarding grants basic tenets run throughout the predom- erate statement, signed by fifty partici- to both faith-based and select secular organ- inantly white fatherhood movement. pants at a multiracial 1999 conference izations, publishing a newsletter, and spon- Underlying every rightist sector of the held at Morehouse College and cospon- soring convenings that target specific movement is a conservative Christian read- sored by the Morehouse Research Institute communities of color.17 By gaining access ing of the nature and role of the family. and the conservative Institute for Ameri- and building trust with federal grants, the

THE PUBLIC EYE 25 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye white fatherhood movement (through its Fatherhood and Family Revitalization, in their children’s lives, both emotionally allies in the federal bureaucracy) has an and new publications, such as Proud and financially, and to develop a better opportunity to recruit men and women in Poppa, promote the nuclear family model relationship with the child’s mother.”20 low-income communities of color to col- that emphasizes the father as the principal They explicitly promote marriage and laborate in the Right’s “cure” for their determinant of the success of children fatherhood within the reality of a world poverty. and the family. They encourage fathers to where low-income men of color face HHS itself often points out that it is par- be heavily involved in the rearing of chil- barriers in employment, housing, and ticularly concerned with promoting mar- dren. Many of these more conservative access to health care. riage within the African-American African-American organizations talk very Senator Barack Obama, for instance, in community. The justification for this racial little about the challenges of poverty or the his comments chastising “absentee Black “marriage promotion affirmative action” is crucial role of the mother in childrearing. fathers,” also notes that the federal govern- that, according to the 2000 U.S. Census Their message is that “fathers make the ment has “gone AWOL” as low-income and 2003 National Center for Health Sta- family.” families deal with unemployment and lack tistics Report, African-Americans have the It is these few organizations, and a num- of health care.21 These organizations, activists, lowest marriage rates and the highest ber of conservative pastors and ministers, academics, and politicians appropriately divorce rates of any group in the United that tend to work most closely with the emphasize poverty as the cause of family dis- States, the highest rate of households Healthy Marriage Initiative of the George tress, and then help fathers develop a healthy headed by single mothers, and the highest W. Bush Administration. For example, as relationship with their families. More rate of childbirth to single mothers. These part of its outreach to African-Americans, researchers are pointing out that the statis- statistics have given rise to events such as HHS’s Administration for Children and tics showing most low-income black fami- “Black Marriage Day,” put on in 70 cities Families hosted a 2004 conference in lies are headed by single-mothers don’t reveal by the Wedding Bliss Foundation, with Chicago to spread the word in the African- the larger truth that some young men of color direct assistance from HHS. American community about the govern- are involved with the mothers of their chil- By targeting African-Americans for ment’s efforts to promote marriage. The dren, sometimes live with them, and even are marriage promotion, HHS is responding Forum’s title was, “Why Marriage Matters: active in their children’s care.22 Yet the cou- to the statistics cited above, claiming that The Role of Faith-Based and Commu- ple may decide not to marry. marriage promotion must, logically, be nity Organizations.”19 Approximately one Another ideological sector of the father- most active in the communities with the third of the attendees identified them- hood movement within the African-Amer- poorest record on marriage. In this stealth selves as pastors from around the country. ican community is nationalistic logic, marriage is elevated to the status of At the conference, one workshop leader, fatherhood, almost single-handedly rep- a community asset, while the lack of robust Rev. Darrell L. Armstrong of Shiloh Bap- resented by the National of Islam, which marriage statistics is seen as a community tist Church in Trenton, N.J., illustrated the has long emphasized the importance of the deficit (the word “pathology” is no longer gap between the more conservative marriage family. Its call for a million African-Amer- popular); therefore the African-American analysis promoted by rightists at HHS and ican men to come to Washington, D.C. on community receives a disproportionate a more liberal analysis of marriage when he October 16, 1995 to stand up for “unity, share of marriage promotion efforts. The warned participants to be wary of two atonement, and brotherhood” resulted in entire argument rests on the association of groups that would oppose their efforts: one of the largest marches ever seen on the a low marriage rate with a lack of com- advocates against domestic violence, who Mall, drawing many who were not affili- munity health—such that the government are concerned that marriage initiatives will ated with the Nation of Islam, but wanted can justify intervening. encourage people to stay in abusive rela- to make a statement in support of African- Conservative activists in communities tionships; and gay and lesbian groups that American empowerment. Speakers from of color, often adhering to the rightist are fighting for access to marriage. the podium called on African-American notion that issues of race and racism should Although liberal fatherhood and mar- men to “clean up their lives and rebuild be “colorblind,” tend to focus on the com- riage organizations of color are equally their neighborhoods.” munity itself as the cause of fatherless- dedicated to strong families and involved ness. They argue that blaming poverty, fatherhood, they are less attached to the tra- Conclusion white racism, or joblessness allows the ditional nuclear family model than are hatever critique liberals and pro- fathers in the community to shirk their conservative fatherhood organizations. In Wgressives justifiably make of the responsibility to provide for their chil- the words of Ronald Mincy, a scholar who Right’s ideas and methods, nearly all stu- dren. Traditionalist African-American studies African-American fathers, these dents of the Right will agree that its lead- organizations, such as the Washington, organizations “encourage fathers, whether ership had a remarkable understanding of D.C.-based Institute for Responsible married or not, to become more involved the importance of movement building. In

THE PUBLIC EYE 26 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye studying the specific area of marriage and End Notes 12 Robert Bly, Iron John: A Book About Men (New York: fatherhood promotion, it is clear how strate- 1 Michael Lind, Up From Conservatism: Why the Right is Vintage Books, 1990). 13 gically the movement’s organizations Wrong for America (New York: The Free Press, 1996), 193. Anna Gavanas, Fatherhood Politics in the United States: 2 George Gilder, Wealth and Poverty (New York, NY: Basic Masculinity, Sexuality, Race, and Marriage (Urbana, IL: molded and mobilized public opinion Books, 1981), 69. University of Illinois Press, 2004), 15-19. Also see: Tom Digby, ed., Men Doing Feminism (New York, N.Y: Rout- against single mothers and, most especially, 3 110 STAT. 2105, PUBLIC LAW 104-193, Aug. 22, 1996, ledge Press, 1998). 105th Congress. against single mothers who are welfare 14 Mike Dorning, “Obama Urges Fathers to be Responsi- recipients. Simultaneously, they elevated the 4 See: “Marriage Promotion: At What Cost?: New Federal ble,” Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2007, p. 4. Marriage Promotion And Fatherhood Program.” Accessed 15 role of “father” to make the presence of a at: http://legalmomentum.org/legalmomentum/programs/sex- Carol Browning, “Crisis of Fatherhood: ‘Turning the father necessary for the formation of a ualityandfamilyrights/ 2006/06/new_federal_mar- Corner on Father Absence in Black America’ Report,” riage_promotion. php on July 26, 2007. Christian Century, August 25, 1999. healthy family. 16 5 For an account of the manipulation of the vote on the The Right points to the success of its Anne Farris, Richard P. Nathan, and David Wright, “The Expanding Administrative Presidency: George W. resolution on ordination, see Carolyn Weatherford policies in shrinking welfare rolls and the Bush and the Faith-Based Initiative,” The Roundtable on Crumpler, “Foreword,” in Carl L. Kell, ed., Exiled: Voices of the Southern Baptist Convention Holy War numbers of welfare recipients who have Religion and Social Welfare Policy, August, 2004, exec- utive summary, 1. (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2006), xviii. gone to work. Then shouldn’t the poverty 6 Elisabeth Bumilller, “Bush Says $2 Billion Went to Reli- 17 rate in the United States be at an all-time gious Charities in ’04,” New York Times, March 4, 2005, Outreach strategies appear on the HHS Healthy Fam- low? But the U.S. Census Bureau’s report A17. ilies website: http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/index.shtml. 18 7 For 2000 census data, see: http://www.census.gov/prod/ for 2005, released in August 2006, details Jason DeParle, “Hispanic Group Thrives on Faith and Federal Aid.” New York Times, May 3, 2005, A1. 2003pubs/censr-5.pdf and for the 2003 National a grim picture of poverty in the U.S. The Center for Health Statistics report, see: 8 report finds that the percentage of people Tony Evans, “Spiritual Purity,” in: Al Janssen and Larry http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm. K. Weeden, eds. Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper 19 living in poverty in 2005 (12.6 percent) (Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family Publishing, Claire Hughes, “Chicago African-American Health 1994), 79-80. Marriage Initiative Conference,” The Roundtable on Reli- contains the highest percentage of people gion and Social Welfare Policy, May 17, 2004, accessed 9 living in “deep poverty” since the govern- See: Wade F. Horn, Father Facts, 3rd ed. (Gathersburg, at: http://www.religionandsocialpolicy. org/news/arti- MD: National Fatherhood Initiative, 1998); David cle_print.cfm?id=1514. ment began keeping poverty statistics in Blankenhorn, Fatherless America: Confronting our most 20 Ronald B. Mincy, “What About Black Fathers?” The 1975. That’s because nearly half (5.4 per- urgent social problem (New York, Basic Books, 1995); David Popenoe, Life Without Father: Compelling new evi- American Prospect, vol. 13, issue 7, April 8, 2002. cent) of those living in poverty are living dence that fatherhood and marriage are indispensable for 21 See Dorning. the good of children and society (Cambridge, MA: Harvard below half the poverty line of $17,170 for a 22 Jonathon E. Briggs, “For Black Fathers, A Changing University Press, 1996); and Don E. Eberly, Restoring the Picture,” Chicago Tribune, June 15, 2007, p. A1. family of three, according to 2007 Health Good Society: A new vision for politics and culture (Grand and Human Services Guidelines.23 Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994). 23 Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 15, January 24, 2007, 3147-3148. Also see: “Downward Mobility,” New York 10 Wade F. Horn, “Did you Say ‘Movement’?, in: Wade F. Much of the public does not know the Times editorial, August 30, 2006, A20; and “Pushed into Horn, David Blankenhorn, and Mitchell B. Pearlstein, Poverty,” The Miami Herald, February 28, 2007, A1. extent of deep poverty in the United States eds., 7-8. or the expenditure of federal money to pro- 11 See in: Wade F. Horn, David Blankenhorn, and Mitchell mote marriage among low-income women Pearlstein, eds., The Fatherhood Movement: A Call to and to promote fatherhood in family for- Action (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 1999), 169-175. mation. Even if they did know, they might assume that the program was driven by GROUNDBREAKING REPORT FROM POLITICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES solid evidence from the social sciences that marriage does indeed result in a higher Pushed to the Altar: income for poor women. But there is no such evidence (as I will document in a forth- The Right Wing Roots of Marriage Promotion coming article). This is a program driven The Bush Administration has abandoned proven poverty by right-wing ideology, a backlash against reduction strategies and instead is encouraging women the social reforms of the 1970s and 1980s, — especially welfare recipients — to marry their way and a commitment by the Republican out of poverty. PRA founder Dr. Jean Hardisty traces Party to “restore” the idealized “father the influence of right-wing fatherhood groups on the knows best” family model of the 1950s. If Administration’s “marriage promotion” programs, and this were a harmless pursuit of a fantasy the channeling of millions of federal dollars back to ideal, that would explain why it fairly these groups, violating the separation of church and often garners bipartisan support. But on state. Jointly published by PRA and the Women of Color $7.50 close examination, it is more accurately a Resource Center. cynical social experiment, using as its sub- jects the low-income women of the early Order through our online bookstore www.publiceye.org 21st century. ■ Or send payment to: Political Research Associates, 1310 Broadway, #201, Somerville, MA 02144

THE PUBLIC EYE 27 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye ……Reports in Review…… REPORT OF THE MONTH Ultrasound Politics Ultralove: The Medical Right Falls Hard for Ultrasound, Despite Lack of Evidence wielding ultrasound’s powerful imagery as a way to discourage abor- By Cynthia L. Cooper, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, tion. It also argues that no research substantiates Focus on the Fam- Washington D.C., February 2008. ily’s claim that “‘research shows’ that 89% of women considering http://www.rcrc.org/issues/medright_ultrasound_one.cfm abortion change their minds after having an ultrasound and counseling This online report sketches out the rising popularity of using ultra- at a crisis pregnancy center.” Furthermore, the report argues that unreg- sound imaging as a way to dissuade pregnant women from consider- ulated and non-medical ultrasound use is suspect because ultra- ing abortion. Specifically, it documents how anti-abortion groups like sounds, while being safe, are not completely innocuous and should Focus on the Family invested “$4.2 million in a single year to pay for not be used without a medically justifiable reason and without med- training and ultrasound equipment for crisis pregnancy centers” for ical professionals to diagnose the images. The report underscores this over 350 ultrasound machines in 48 states, while Heartbeat Interna- second point by saying ‘Failure to diagnose’ a fetal sonogram has been tional has equipped 460 of its 1100 affiliates with ultrasound capa- the reason for a large number of medical malpractice claims.” If a bility. As the president of the National Institute of Family & Life sonogram is a diagnostic tool that a physician is obligated to read care- Advocates Thomas A. Glessner is quoted as saying, “NIFLA firmly fully, how can a crisis pregnancy center justify using sonograms if it believes that PRC’s (pregnancy centers) should place evangelism and cannot fulfill its responsibility to read and understand the image? Anti- a presentation of the gospel as a top priority in their ministries.” abortion groups might have a right to free speech, the authors write, The report criticizes religious and political anti-abortion groups for but they do not necessarily have a right to use a medical diagnostic tool using a medical diagnostic test with no medical expertise and for for other purposes.

Other Reports in Review Illegal Wiretaps Ignored legislation to allow itself more time to delib- Subprime Time in Debates erate and craft policy around the issue (debate Foreclosed: State of the Dream 2008. has since resumed as of January 24th). Candidates Still Not Asked About By Amaad Rivera, Brenda Cotto-Escalera, The issues at the center of the FISA debate Wiretaps, FISA, or Telecom Immunity Anisha Desai, Jeannette Huezo, and Dedrick include whether there should be judicial in Debates Muhammad, United for a Fair Economy, Media Matters for America, Washington, approval of warrants to search communica- Boston, Mass., January 15, 2008. D.C., January 24, 2008. http://mediamatters. tion between U.S. citizens and foreigners http://www.faireconomy.org/files/StateOf- org/items/200801240006#comments_bottom overseas and whether telecommunications Dream_01.16.08_Web.pdf companies, such as AT&T, who have assisted _nav The subprime lending crisis worsens the the government to gather records, should be Despite the public stir after The New York economic woes of lower income people, held legally culpable if it is found that the wire- Times broke the news in December 2005 many of whom are people of color, strapping taps were illegal. The Electronic Frontier that President Bush allowed wiretapping them with untenable debt and Foreclosed Foundation has filed a class-action lawsuit without Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act predicts approximately 2.2 million foreclo- against AT&T for cooperating with the ille- (FISA) court approval, Media Matters for sures and $2.3 trillion in economic losses in gal wiretapping. It charges the President with America discovered that only one question has loans originally issued between 1998 and abusing executive power and ignoring the been asked of a candidate during presidential 2006. Because subprime lenders stood to U.S. Constitution’s protection from unrea- debates on this important issue. This is espe- profit more from subprime loans than con- sonable search and seizure in bypassing judi- cially striking because according to the report, ventional ones, they had an incentive to push cial approval for warrants. Media Matter for “[a]t least ten of the candidates who have par- subprime loans falsely as a cheaper refinanc- America raises the question of how such an ticipated in presidential debates in the past year ing opportunity (only 11% of subprime important and hotly contested issue could be have been in Congress as it has considered leg- loans went to first time home buyers). Lenders almost completely absent from the many islation concerning FISA, wiretapping, and the also steered people who qualified for con- public presidential debates we have already immunity issue.” Congress itself had also ventional loans towards subprime loans— witnessed. sidestepped the debate by enacting temporary somewhere between one-third to one-half of

THE PUBLIC EYE 28 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye subprime borrowers qualified for less-expen- AALDEF has pressed for and monitored the car was another significant determinant of eco- sive conventional loans. application of the Voting Rights Act mandate nomic opportunity because “lack of trans- While the report gives strong evidence that communities with limited-English pro- portation may be a more important barrier to that subprime lending practices have and will ficient populations of either five percent of the economic advancement in low-income urban continue to disproportionately affect minor- county or 10,000 people provide language neighborhoods than elsewhere. Drivers ity communities, the report would have ben- assistance, including translators, translated licenses are also important forms of govern- efited from further evidence to support its materials, and if needed, personal assistance ment-sanctioned identification, and adults argument that predatory lending was tar- in the voting booth to facilitate voting. who do not have them may experience diffi- geted on the basis of race. The report shows AALDEF’s survey of Asian-American vot- culties accessing government benefits and that subprime loans were disproportionately ers at poll sites in nine states and Washington services, as well as credit, bank accounts, given to African Americans compared to D.C., 43 percent of respondents had limited home loans and other financial services prod- whites. Yet it did not break down the data by English language proficiency and in some loca- ucts.” This is significant because 30% of income and credit record to highlight that tions the percentage was as high as 88 percent. immigrants in the survey were not docu- fewer low-income whites with spotty credit The survey found consistent problems imped- mented and in many states cannot access were steered into subprime loans than simi- ing the voting process including poorly trans- licenses. larly situated African Americans. lated materials (including the ballots and Those with higher education, and a driver’s The report estimates the crisis will cost the complementary materials), a shortage of trans- license and car were more likely to be employed economy between $355 billion to $462 bil- lators, difficulty in attaining provisional bal- and have a savings account and credit card lion in direct losses, including $164 billion to lots for voters in cases where voter registration (access to the financial system). Those with $213 billion in losses to people of color. rolls had problems, and requiring identifica- good English language skills and who were cit- Community “spillover” costs, which include tion from Asian American voters, though of izens were more likely to own homes and have higher crime rates, less funding for education the voters who were asked for identification, access to higher paying jobs. and other public services, and the adminis- 78% were not required to present any in the Education-level is heavily related to Eng- trative costs of processing the glut of foreclo- cases observed. lish-language proficiency, the report shows; sures, are estimated at $2.3 trillion AALDEF urges the Justice Department to and “over a quarter of working age immigrant The final section of the report urges more continue pressing counties to comply, and respondents from Mexico, Central America progressive taxation to aid the economically urges counties to take advantage of federal and Southeast Asia did not have a ninth grade disadvantaged in achieving home ownership funds and support provided to enfranchise vot- education.” To illustrate the dramatic rela- and in general improving their educational and ers with limited English-language proficiency tionship between education-level and poverty, economic prospects, simplifying the home- throughout the entire registration and voting the survey found that respondents with no col- buying process so that consumers will be process. Finally, the AALDEF reminds coun- lege education were four to five times more better informed and less easily exploited, and ties that other than translated ballots, it is essen- likely to live in impoverished households rethinking redevelopment projects, such as the tial to provide language assistance in terms of than respondents with a four-year college one currently underway in New Orleans, so registration forms, polling site information, degree. that, instead of evicting poorer residents, they signs, translators, and provisional ballots in The report also compares Southeast Asian are included in the rebuilding. cases where problems arise from registration immigrants, who “mostly came into the coun- rolls or confusion. try as refugees, received substantial integration Election Day Warnings services after entry, and have a high rate of cit- Immigrant Economics izenship,” and Mexican and Central-Ameri- Asian American Access to Democracy in can immigrants who are “generally barred from the 2006 Elections Immigrant Integration in Low-Income public benefits, ineligible for citizenship, and By Glenn D. Magpantay with Nancy W. Yu, Urban Neighborhoods subject potentially to arrest and deportation.” Asian American Legal Defense and Education By Lynnette A. Rawlings, et.al., The Urban Southeast Asians “fare far better on measures Fund, New York, January 2008. Institute, Washington, D.C., 2007. www.aaldef.org. http://www.urban.org/Uploaded- of economic advancement and integration than comparable groups given their very low Along with gerrymandering districts along PDF/411574_immigrant_integration.pdf levels of educational attainment and English ethnic lines, not providing adequate or any This rich report evaluates how factors such proficiency.” This highlights the importance polling stations in communities of color, and as education level, ownership of a car and dri- of federally supported immigrant integra- the poll taxes and literacy requirements of the ver’s license, English-language proficiency, tion initiatives for the economic success of Jim Crow era, a language barrier can also be and citizenship status affect various immigrant immigrants. Together, this data shows the a key factor in disenfranchising a voter, this groups’ economic prospects. Its strongest many benefits from having official status and report shows. finding is that “Education is the most impor- documentation, even if only drivers licenses. Until 1975, localities were not required to tant determinant of economic advancement ensure there were no barriers preventing regardless of race, ethnicity, nativity, citizen- Reports in Review compiled by Aaron Rothbaum. non-English-proficient speakers from voting. ship or origin.” Having a driver’s license and

THE PUBLIC EYE 29 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye

SECULAR FUNDAMENTALIST continued from page 9 NORTH AMERICAN UNION continued from page 19 and the citations in the next note for more details. 60 Martin Durham, White Rage: The Extreme Right and American 10 Jim Wallis, God’s Politics: Why the Religious Right is Directs The Storm. Apocalyptic Religion & American Empire, Politics, Routledge, London, 2007, p. 51-65; ——, The Christ- Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, (New York: Harper (London: I.B. Tauris, 2004); Richard A. Horsley, Jesus and ian Right, the Far Right and the Boundaries of American Conser- Collins, 2005) 69. Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder, (Min- vatism, Manchester University Manchester, 2000. neapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2002); Chip Berlet 61 11 Jim Wallis, “Let’s Clear the Air,” Beliefnet, February 21, & Nikhil Aziz, “Culture, Religion, Apocalypse, and Middle East Berlet & Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America, 307-344. 2007. http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/02/jim- Foreign Policy,” IRC Right Web (Silver City, NM: Interhemi- 62 “Global Governance: The Quiet War against American Inde- wallis-lets-clear-air.html spheric Resource Center), December 12, 2003, http://right- pendence,” hosted by Phyllis Schlafly, “An Eagle Forum Televi- web.irc-online.org/rw/848.html. On apocalypticism as a worldview, 12 sion Special Report,” 1997; see critical overview at Tom Strode, “Land: Religious right has won fight with Charles B. Strozier, Apocalypse: On the Psychology of Fundamen- http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/Global_Governance/video_box.ht secular fundamentalists,” Baptist Press News, January 25, talism in America, (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1994); Stephen ml. D. O’Leary, Arguing the Apocalypse: A Theory of Millennial 2005 http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=20002 63 Rhetoric. New York: Oxford University Press. (1994); Susan Hard- Quoted in Hayes, “The NAFTA Superhighway,” 13 Michael Lerner, The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our ing, “Imagining the Last Days: The Politics of Apocalyptic Lan- 64 Berlet and Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America, 1-18. See also Country from the Religious Right, SanFrancisco: Harper- guage,” in Martin E. Marty and R. Scott Appleby, (eds.), Margaret Canovan, Populism (New York: Harcourt Brace SanFrancisco, 2006) 111. Accounting for Fundamentalisms, The Fundamentalism Project, vol. Jovanovich, 1981); Michael Kazin, The Populist Persuasion: An 4, (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1994). 14 Lerner, The Left Hand of God, 130. American History (New York: Basic Books, 1995). 49 “A Brief History of the Constitution Party,” http://www.consti- 65 15 Jean V. Hardisty, Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence Lerner, The Left Hand of God, 132. tutionparty.com/party_history.php; Constitution Party National from the John Birch Society to the Promise Keepers, (Boston: Bea- 16 Wallis, God’s Politics, 69-71, passim. Platform,” http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php; con Press, 1999), Frederick Clarkson, “The Rise of Dominionism: Remaking Amer- 66 17 Chip Berlet, “How Apocalyptic and Millennialist ica as a Christian Nation,” the Public Eye, To trace the chronological evolution of the idea of populism as Themes Influence Right Wing Scapegoating and Con- Winter 2005, Vol. 19, No. 3, http://www.publiceye.org/maga- a style of politics, see: Ernesto Laclau, Politics and Ideology in Marx- zine/v19n3/clarkson_dominionism.html. ist Theory: Capitalism, Fascism, Populism (London: NLB/Atlantic spiracism,” The Public Eye, Fall 1998. Highlands Humanities Press, 1977); Canovan, Populism; Peter 50 18 Frederick Clarkson, Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Constitution Party vets tap Corsi for president: WND author Fritzsche, Rehearsals for Fascism: Populism and Political Mobi- prepares to explore bid for nomination, lization in Weimar Germany (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, Between Theocracy and Democracy, (Monroe, Me.: WorldNetDaily, May 17, 2007, http://www.worldnetdaily. Common Courage Press, 1997) 174-175. 1990); Hans-Georg Betz, Radical Right-wing Populism in West- com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55735; Clarkson, “The Rise ern Europe (New York: St. Martins Press, 1994); Kazin, The Pop- 19 Frederick Clarkson, “Obama Steps in It,” Talk to Action, of Dominionism.” ulist Persuasion; Hans-Georg Betz and Stefan Immerfall, (eds), July 2, 2006. http://www.talk2action.org/story/ 51 Fred Clarkson, “Will Roy Moore Crack the Bush base?” Salon, The New Politics of the Right: Neo-Populist Parties and Movements 2006/7/2/55634/83636 May 4, 2004 http://dir.salon.com/story/news/fea- in Established Democracies (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998); ture/2004/05/04/roy_moore/index.html; “A Brief History of the Berlet and Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America . 20 Frederick Clarkson, “Damn the Red Herrings! Full Constitution Party.” 67 Berlet and Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America; Chip Berlet, Speed Ahead!”, Talk to Action, January 14, 2007 52 “When Alienation Turns Right: Populist Conspiracism, the http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/1/14/194840/882 Track H.Con.Res.40 at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi- . Apocalyptic Style, and Neofascist Movements,” in Trauma, 21 Promise, and the Millennium: The Evolution of Alienation, ed. Lau- Eric Sapp, “Why Our Humility Makes Us Better”, 53 The Liberty Committee, http://www.thelibertycommittee. Faithful Democrats, October, 7, 2006. ren Langman and Devorah Kalekin Fishman (Lanham, MD: org/home.asp; http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/pages/spot- Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), pp. 115-144; Brasher & Berlet, http://faithfuldemocrats.com/content/view/395/108/ light/2007/HR_1146.asp; http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/pages “Imagining Satan;” Berlet, “Dances with Devils.” 22 /spotlight/2007/HR_190.asp. For a discussion of this religious right talking point, see 68 Canovan, Populism, 54-55; Kazin, The Populist Persuasion, 35- 54 Frederick Clarkson, History is Powerful: Why the The End Times Intelligence Report (ETIR) - 2008, End Times 36, 52-54, 143-144; Catherine McNicol Stock, Rural Radicals: Christian Right Distorts History and Why it Matters,” Wisdom Blogspot, November 11, 2007, http://endtimeswis- Righteous Rage in the American Grain, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell The Public Eye, Spring 2007. dom.blogspot.com/2007/11/north-american-union-closer-than- University Press, 1996), 15-86; Berlet and Lyons, Right-Wing you.html. 23 Populism in America, 4-6. Clarkson, “History is Powerful.” 55 Nathanael Kapner, “Jew Chertoff’s Subversive North American 69 Stephen Kantrowitz, Ben Tillman & the Reconstruction of White 24 Address of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Greater Hous- Union Plan,” Real Jew News, http://www.realjewnews.com/?p= Supremacy (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2000), ton Ministerial Association, reprinted in The Boston 106; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDHPSvvmcmk. 4-6, 109-114, 153. 56 Globe, December 2, 2007, on the eve of Mitt Romney’s Myron Fagan, “The Illuminati and the 70 Dan T. Carter, The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins address at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. Council on Foreign Relations,” transcript of audio recording, of the New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Pol- 1972, http://www.awakeandarise.org/article/MyronFagan.htm itics, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995); Thomas Byrne Edsall 57 This section is adapted from Berlet & Lyons, Right-Wing Pop- and Mary D. Edsall, Chain Reaction: The Impact of Race, Rights, ulism in America, p. 301-303. and Taxes on American Politics, (New York: Norton, 1991). See Now Online at also Clarence Y. H. Lo, Small Property Versus Big Government: 58 www.publiceye.org! A “Chart of sectors” of the U.S. political right is compiled by Polit- Social Origins of the Property Tax Revolt, (Berkeley: University of ical Research Associates, . See also Sara Diamond, 71 Roads to Dominion: Right-Wing Movements and Political Power Lucy A. Williams, Decades of Distortion: The Right’s 30-year Assault COINTELPRO: What the in the United States, (New York: Guilford Press, 1995; For back- on Welfare (Somerville, MA: Political Research Associates, 1997), (Deleted) Was It? ground on the Patriot and armed militia movements, see Cher- http://www.publiceye.org/welfare/Decades-of-Distortion.html. mak (S.M.), Searching for a Demon: the Media Construction of 72 Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, trans- From its founding, The Public Eye the Militia Movement, (Boston: Northeastern University Press, lated by Talcot Parsons (New York: Routledge, [1930] 1999). See investigated government spying, 2002); Lane Crothers, Rage On The Right: The American Mili- also, Chip Berlet, “Calvinism, Capitalism, Conversion, and Incar- tia Movement from Ruby Ridge to Homeland Security, (Lanham, ceration,” the Public Eye, Winter 2004, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 8- as in this article by Mark Ryter MD, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003); Joshua D. Freilich, Amer- 15, http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v18n3/berlet_calvinism. ican Militias: State Level Variations in Militia Activities, (New York: html. in the second issue ever. LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2003(; Carolyn Gallaher, On The Fault 73 Line: Race, Class, And The American Patriot Movement, (Lanham, Interview with Doug Henwood, editor of Left Business Observer From The Public Eye MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002); Chip Berlet, “Militias in the (LBO), based on comments made on LBO listserv, October 16, Frame.” Review Essay, Contemporary Sociology, Vol. 33, No. 5, 2006. Vol. 1 No. 2, 1978 September 2004, p. 514-521; –––––, “Hard Times on the Hard 74 Interview with S. Wojciech Sokolowski, based on comments made Right: Why Progressives Must Remain Vigilant,” the Public Eye, on LBO listserve, October 16, 2006. Spring 2002, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 1, 2-22; Lorna Mason, Insur- 75 gency on the Populist Right: A Case Study of the Contemporary U.S. Berlet & Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America, 8-9. Patriot Movement, dissertation, City University of New York, May 76 Mark Fenster, Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in Ameri- 2006. can Culture (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999), Visit Right Web for profiles of the individuals 59 Berlet & Lyons, Right-Wing Populism in America, 87-304. The 67. and organizations promoting a militarist U.S. chapter on the Patriot and armed militia movements, “Battling 77 Goldberg, Enemies Within, 188. the New World Order: Patriots and armed militias,” is online, foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/federalism/fears.html#militia. http://rightweb.irc-online.org Those unfamiliar with the phenomenon should consult this text

THE PUBLIC EYE 30 SPRING 2008 The Public Eye Eyes RIGHT verses of the Qur’an such as: “Believers, take THEY DESTROYED neither the Jews nor the Christians for your THE RON PAUL CONSPIRACY EVIDENCE, BUT THAT’S OK! friends” (Sura 5:51); or “Kill the disbeliev- Writers for the American Free Press have a lot Human Events writer Jed Babbins defends the ers wherever we find them” (Sura 2:191) and to say about the Republican primaries and Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) act of then asks, “Are these verses from the Qur’an their favored candidate Ron Paul. The paper destroying tapes recorded during interroga- taken out of context? Does it matter if a politi- cites “corrupt” national polls, voter fraud, and tions involving waterboarding and other cian swears on a Qur’an? Is it Islamophobic a national media bias to stem support for Paul. forms of torture. Babbins laments that the to be concerned? Is Islam a peaceful religion?” The paper goes further and tries to expose government shifted from the “clear” defini- Source: “What Every American Needs to Know About Huckabee’s “leftist, statist, and non-Christ- tion of torture, in which almost any inter- the Qur’an,” by William J. Federer, Family Security ian agenda” to prove that Huckabee is a rogation technique is allowed, to the more Matters, February 19, 2008. bait-and-switch candidate to deceive Chris- “vague” one where some acts, including tian voters. The American Free Press wants waterboarding, are considered torture. Now Online at voters to know that Ron Paul has the most Apart from defending the government’s popular support even though polls, elec- clear right to use any form of interrogation, www.publiceye.org! tions, media coverage, and even support for regardless of ethical questions, and includ- other candidates would seem to contradict ing “sprinkling bacon bits on a [Muslim] that at this point in the primaries. detainee’s head,” Babbin defends the CIA in Sources: “Ron Paul REVOLUTION At the Crossroads,” destroying evidence to thwart a Congres- by Pat Shannan, American Free Press, February 11, sional investigation. In Babbin’s view, the 2008, 10. “Media’s Masters Adore Huckabee,” by Michael Collins Piper, American Free Press, December investigation could lead to outlawing water- 31, 2007, 13;“Who Would Jesus Vote For?: Michigan boarding and other forms of interrogation pastor says it probably would not be Mike Huckabee,” by and expose interrogators who used these Pastor Bret McAtee, American Free Press, February 11, techniques after the definition of torture was 2008, 14-5. One Raid at a Time: amended in 2005. Thus, the CIA had a How Immigrant right to destroy tapes both because it should Crackdowns Build the SATAN’S CHRISTMAS defend its right to torture and because the PRESENT Congressional investigation deserves to be National Security State The theatrical release of the children’s movie thwarted. BY ROBERTO LOVATO The Golden Compass last December inspired Source: "CIA Was Right to Destroy Tough Interrogation This isn’t the first time in U.S. a flurry of reactions from Christian magazines Tapes," by Jed Babbin, Human Events, December 17. history that the U.S. government reminiscent of the concern voiced about 2007, 1. Harry Potter. Troubled parents warned, expanded furiously in crackdowns “Keep those children in prayer. Then, with TRUST ME: BE VERY AFRAID on immigrants. Now it is doing so in a sort of a Homeland Security grace and love, share the truth about His Dark Family Security Matters, an online presence Materials.” On a more severe note, another that seeks to maintain continued fears of a Keynesianism, with big government publication suggested an “eighteen-count terrorist attack, recently demonstrated its par- contracts to favored companies, indictment of Pullman [the author of the ticular brand of fear mongering by publishing and one third of the Homeland original children’s book] on the charge of pro- excerpts from a book by one of its con- Security budget going to moting Satanism.” tributing editors, William Federer: What controlling migrants. Sources: “Dark Materials” by Adad R. Holz, plugged in, Every American Needs to Know About the Public Eye Editorial Board January, 2008, 3-4. and "Satanism for Young Readers" Qur’an: A History of Islam and the United by Lee Duigon, Faith for All of Life, Jan/Feb 2008, member Roberto Lovato 29-32. States. Federer was upset when Keith Ellison, a Minnesota state legislator, used a copy of compares then and now. Islam’s holy book during his swearing in ceremony. In the excerpt, Federer selects On publiceye.org now!

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